f LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.? 



#(|fe? |ore"Si't|:o # 

I -^^^^ "J H.I 

* UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f 



THE 



COVENANTS. 



.,1^ 



ROBT. BOYTE c! HOWELL, D.D. 

Pastor of the Main-Street (Second Baptist) Church, Richmond, Va. 



author of 

'terms of communion," "the deaconship," "the way of salvation," 

"the evils of infant baptism,'* "the cross,'* etc. 



* Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we 
through patience, and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope."— Paul. 



CHARLESTON: 

SOUTHERN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 

M D P C CLV. 



^ 



-9^^^^ 
^-^ 



Entered, according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 
ROBT. BOYTE C. HOWELL, D.D. 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern 
District of Virginia. 



JAMES, WILLIAMS & GITSINGER. 

3 Broad-st., Charleston. 



TO 

a 

^ N. M. CEAWFORD, D.D.. 

I President of Mercer University, Georgia, 

THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATE [;Y DEDICATED, 

IN TESTIMOXY OF THE 

HIGH REGARD IN WHICH HE IS HELD, 

AS 

A Christian, a Minister, and a Relative 

BY THE AUTHOR. 



PEEFACE. 



The covenants discussed in the following^ pages, con- 
nect themselves with true religion in every age. I 
liave studied them carefully, and with much satisfaction. 
Tlie sketch now presented has, I confess, cost me no 
little labor; but it has aided me in acquiring a still 
more full, and perfect knowledge of the word of God. 
In the hope that it may confer a like benefit upon others, 
it is sent forth to the world. May God, our heavenly 
Father, make this little volume a blessing to his cause, 
and people, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

ROBT. BOYTE 0. HOWELL. 

Rich:\[Oxd, Ya., January 6tli, 1855. 



\ 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. P^QL 

The Cotkxaxts, -------- i 

CHAPTER II. 
The Covenant op Works, ------- 7 

CHAPTER IIL 
Thi: Covfa'ant ok Eden, - 18 

CHAPTER IV. 
The Covkxant of PiMdeuptjon, - 30 

CHAPTER y. 
TifE Covenant of Promise in Curlst to Abraham, - 44 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Covenants of the Law, 63 

CHAPTER YII. 
Philology of the Covenants, 78 

CHAPTER VIII. 
The Old (Covenant and the New Covenant, - - 99 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Teachings of the Covenants. - ■ - 112 



THE COVENANTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE COVENANTS. 



Not understood ; the causes o4it ; proposed method of discussion ; 
simplicity of the subject ; its importance. 

Salvation through Jesus Christ, is according to 
"the determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of 
God."* He was pleased to make known to the 
fathers, his purposes in this behalf, in the form of 
covenants, which were of different characters, and 
revealed at various times. These covenants enter 
into the very nature, and pervade with their pecu- 
liar qualities, the whole system of divine grace. A 
perfect knowledge of the Gospel therefore, involves 
necessarily, a correct comprehension of the cove- 
nants. But by whom among us, are these covenants 
clearly understood ? To most men, you need only 
to speak on this subject, and you at once perceive 
that "Even unto this day, the vail is upon their 

• Acts u : 23. 



^4 THE COVENANTS. 

heart."* They fail to perceive what the covenants 
are in themselves, in their relations to each other, 
and consequently in their bearings upon the designs 
of God in the Redeemer ! This darkness is lament- 
able in all its aspects, since falling short of the 
know^ledge of these, — " the rudiments of the doctrine 
of Christ," — obscurity must necessarily rest upon the 
whole Gospel system. How can he who does not 
perceive "the first principles" of any specified 
science, ever become a master of that science ? 

But why should obscurity rest upon a knowledge 
of the covenants ? Are they in themselves, difficult 
of comprehension ? Far from it. No part of the 
word of God is more plain, and simple. The causes 
of their perplexity, and embarrassment, are to be 
sought for in other quarters. Nor are they proble- 
matical. To every intelligent, and unprejudiced 
observer, they are so obvious as not to be readily 
mistaken. Who does not know that for ages past, 
they have been the prolific , source"^ from which 
theological polemics of every caste, and of the most 
opposite sentiments, have sought to derive support 
for many of their most extravagant speculations in 
religion, and especially in the departments of eccle- 
siastical organization, the nature and efficacy of 
those ordinances commonly known as sacraments, 
and the required qualifications for membership in 
the church of Christ ? By each class they receive 
such expositions as that to superficial minds, they 
appear to sustain its own peculiar conclusions. In 

*2Cor.iii: 15. 



THE COVENANTS. 3 

this work of perversion, both the pulpit, and the 
press have been profuse, and elaborate. Witsius, 
and Boston, Strong, and Russell, Macknight, Dick, 
Dvvight, and many others, have written profoundly. 
But who has been enlightened ? Have they not 
rather *' darkened counsel, by words without know- 
ledge ?" However this may be, the opinion has 
been created, and now prevails almost universally, 
that the whole subject is exceedingly abstruse, so 
much so indeed, as to be beyond the reach of 
ordinary minds. By whom now, are the covenants 
even studied, independently of some recognized 
guide, apart from the Scriptures ? Ministers them- 
selves, who preach sermons, and write controversial 
essays upon them, and assume to enlighten public 
sentiment, are with almost no exceptions, meantime, 
tamely following in the track of such writers as 
happen to have gained the confidence of that par- 
ticular denomination to which they are severally 
attached. Investigation has really ceased on this 
subject, and error has become stereotyped ! 

You have only to look into the books that are 
issued on both sides of the Atlantic, and you will 
see how confidently the covenants are claimed as 
authority for the union of church and state, and for 
the severance of church and state ; for Popery, 
and for Lutheranism, for Prelacy, and for Presby- 
tery ; for the introduction of infants into the church 
of Christ, and for the connection with it of none but 
believers ! The adherents of each party, are per- 
fectly certain that the covenants fully sustain the 
doctrines they advocate. They have seen them, 



4 THE COVENANTS. 

not indeed, in the Bible, but only through the me- 
dium of some essayist of their own class. The 
result has necessarily been a perplexity, and con- 
fusion almost hopeless. 

These are some of the causes by which the un- 
derstanding of this subject has been rendered, to 
many minds, so exceedingly difficult. How until 
they are removed, can the covenants ever be com- 
prehended? While their sense, and purposes, con- 
tinue to be thus turned aside, and perverted, the 
hearts of the simple must be deceived, and to many 
sincere christians, much of the word of God remain 
a sealed book. 

In the investigation upon which we are now en- 
tering, I shall in the outset, direct your attention to 
**the covenant of works," the breach of which made 
all the others necessarj^ It stands by itself, and 
will be so treated. Next I shall refer you to the 
thr^ee separate developements of the covenants, — of 
salvation in the Mediator ; the first being the an- 
nouncement in Eden, immediately after the fall, of a 
Deliverer from sin ; the second, the previous cove- 
nant of redemption, upon which necessarilj'-, that 
announcement was predicated ; and the third, the 
promise to Abraham that Messiah should come of 
his family, which promise was renewed, and trans- 
ferred successively, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Judah, 
and to David. I shall then consider the three manifes- 
tations of the covenant of the law ; the first of which, 
made with Abraham, constituted his descendants a 
separate nation, and gave them as the place of their 
residence until the coming of Messiah, the land of 



THE COVENANTS. 5 

Canaan ; the second of which, also made with 
Abraham,' enacted circumcision, and thus distin- 
guished his posterity personally, from all other men ; 
and the third, made with all Israel at Sinai, gave 
them their peculiar national government. It will 
be necessary here, for us to pause, and investi- 
gate the philology of these covenants; which when 
we have examined, we shall consider how they ap- 
pear in relation to the christian dispensation. It will 
then at once be apparent that the former three cov- 
enants were direct in their reference to Christ, and 
were substantially o«e coye/^/a/i^, made known in the 
gospel, as '* the new and everlasting covenant;" 
and that the latter three were indirect in their refer- 
ence to Christ, together formed the old cover} ant y and 
when Messiah came, and his claims were fully 
established, were consummated, and superceded by 
the gospel, which is their perfect developement. I 
shall then close the discussion by a brief ex- 
planation of the doctrinal, and practical teachings 
of the covenants. In this sketch I have not, you 
will perceive, included all the covenants of every 
class, recorded in the word of God, such, for 
example, as the covenant with Noah, the covenant 
of the priesthood in the family of Aaron, and many 
others of minor importance, because they are not 
especially connected with the promises which guar- 
antied a Messiah, and do not, therefore, immediately 
concern our present investigation ; and because by 
omitting them, we shall be able, without detriment 
to a perfect understanding of the whole subject, to 
attain much more brevity, and directness, than 
would otherwise be practicable. 



6 THE COVENANTS. 

These preliminary considerations submitted, in 
which we have seen that the covenants are not un- 
derstood ; the causes of that obscurity ; the pro- 
cesses by which their comprehension has been 
perplexed, and embarrassed ; and the method pro- 
posed in their investigation ; I proceed at once, 
to the execution of my task. All the theories 
and discussions which they have heretofore eli- 
cited, and of which the world is full, 1 shall, 
learned and ingenious as many of them are, eschew 
wholly. With the Bible before us, and the Bible 
only, we shall carefully, and prayerfully pursue our 
purpose. By this process the prevailing obscu- 
rity will vanish. You will be surprised that it 
ever existed. Not only will you clearly, and fully 
understand the covenants themselves, but the know- 
ledge of them, will cast over every other part of the 
divine record, a brightness and beauty, that will fill 
your heart with surprise, and overwhelming delight. 
And as you thus see more and more of the good- 
ness, and grace of God, his word will become to your 
heart increasingly precious. 



COVENANT OF WORKS. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE COVENANT OF WORKS. 

Man as created ; definition of a covenant ; nature of the covenant 
of works ; blessings of obedience ; penalty of disobedience ; con- 
dition as a sinner. 

How beautiful is the scene in which man first 
appears upon the stage of being ! He is the niost 
exalted emanation of God. Himself clothed in dig- 
nity, intelligence, and excellence, he is surrounded 
on every side by exquisite beauty and loveliness. 
Balmy breezes, loaded with the fragrance of Eden, 
fan his bosom. Rich foliage, and flowers of every 
form and hue, delight his senses. Rivers roll in 
majesty before him, and rills are at his feet, whose 
waters dance, and sparkle in the sunlight. The 
companion of his paradise, is more eu being of 
heaven than of earth, an embodiment of elegance, 
and grace, and love ! Angels are their familiar 
associates. God himself deigns to visit, and cheer 
them by his presence, and blessing. They are in 
soul and in body, pure and holy, and, therefore, im- 
mortal, and perfectly happy. 

Brought into being, and gloriously endowed by the 
power of God, and for his own holy, and sovereign 
purposes, our first parents were necessarily created 



8 COVENANT OP WORKS. 

under the government of appropriate laws, and 
therefore in covenant with their Maker. No fact is 
more plain and certain, than that nothing can exist 
in an)'' department of the universe, whether physi- 
cal, mental, moral, or spiritual, without an appro- 
priate government by which it may be directed. The 
laws which governed man have been called, and pro- 
perly, the covenant of works. But what are we to un- 
derstand by a covenant? A covenant, I answer, has 
been defined by Lexicographers, *' A mutual consent, 
or agreement between two or more parties, to do, or 
to forbear, some act, or thing ; a contract ; a stipu- 
lation ; an appointment ; a testament." This ex- 
position, which refers to its ordinary sense, must not, 
as you will readily see, he too literally applied to 
the divine transaction known in the scriptures as a 
covenant ;* which if you invest with the technicali- 
ties of a mere human bargain, you err inevitably. 
A covenant, as that word occurs in the sacred ora- 
cles, describes, in some places, an appointment, or 
law ; in others a command, or a promise ; and fre- 
quently an arrangement, a constitution, a dispensa- 
tion. But in many instances, as in that of the cove- 
nant now to be considered, and in several others 
hereafter to occupy your attention, the word is not 
employed at all in connexion with the transaction. 
The facts in the case alone, determine whether what 
is done amounts legitimately to a covenant. In its 
gospel application a covenant is '' A settlement, or 
an establishment of things, wherein by means of a 



COVENANT OF WORKS. 

Mediator, God reconciles men to himself, and takes 
them into a friendly relation as his own peculiar 
people ; stipulates for them blessings, and privileges, 
and gives them his laws, and ordinances, as the 
rule of their obedience, and the means of their in- 
tercourse with him." Such I understand to be a 
covenant in its ordinary sense, and especially in its 
scriptural acceptation. 

Let these expositions now be applied to the events 
which characterized the creation of man upon the 
earth. He was we have seen, brought into exist- 
ence, necessarily under an appropriate government. 
The law of his being, '* Takes," says Dr. Dwight, 
**in this case, the name of a covenant, rather than 
that of a law, (although it has all the nature, and 
sanctions of a law) because God was pleased to 
communicate his will to man in the form of a cove- 
nant ; a mode gentle, condescending, and highly ex- 
pressive of the divine benignity."* It is recorded 
in the divine word, in terms singularly brief, and 
comprehensive. "Of every tree of the garden," said 
Jehovah, to him, '' Thou mayest freely eat ; but of 
the tree of the knowledge of good, and evil, thou 
shalt not eat of it ; for, in the day that thou eatest 
thereof, thou shalt surely die.'"! B^^ still more at 
large: — "God said, let us make man, in our image, 
after our likeness ; and let them have dominion 
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, 
and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over 
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, 

♦ Theology, vol. 1, p. 397. t Gen. ii ; 16, 17. 



1 COVENANT OF WORKS. 

So God created man in his own image ; in the im- 
age of God created he him; male and female crea* 
ted he them." ''And the Lord God formed man of 
the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nos- 
trils the breath of life, and man became a living 
soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward 
in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had 
formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God 
to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and 
good for food ; the tree of life also in the midst of 
the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good 
and evil." *' And the Lord God took the man, and 
put him into the garden of Eden, to dress, and to 
keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, 
saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest 
freely eat ; but of the tree of the knowledge of good 
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that 
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."* 

We here have, in the beginning of the world, dis- 
tinctly placed before us, as the parties to the co- 
venant, God, and man, the Creator, and the crea- 
ted, the Governor, and the governed. In the cove- 
nant itself, brief as it is, we have concentred all 
those primary, anterior, and eternal principles of 
truth, righteousness, and justice, which enter neces- 
sarily into the nature of the great God, and which 
must always pervade his government, under what- 
ever dispensation ; we have a full recognition of 
his authority to govern his intelligent creatures, ac- 
cording to these principles ; and we have a perfect 

*Gen,x: 26-31 5 ii ; 1-25. 



COVENANT OP WORKS. 11 

acknowledgment on the part of man, that in all 
things he is subject, as a rational and accountable 
being, to the will and direction of the infinitely wise 
and benevolent Creator. No part of a covenant 
therefore, in its proper sense, is wanting. And it 
is further to be observed that its great principles 
were not only outwardly proclaimed, they were also 
written in the consciences of men, as they w^ere upon 
that of all other intelligences ; and that they neces- 
sarily bind them all alike to the throne of Jehovah, 
^n them we have plainly the sum of all moral and 
spiritual government, whether on earth or in hea- 
ven ; among men or among angels ; under the law 
or under the gospel. These exalted principles are 
indeed not peculiar to the covenant of works. They 
enter fully, also, into all the other covenants recorded 
in the divine word. They are the same that were 
met, honored, and fulfilled on our behalf, by the 
righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

That the covenant of works is connate with man, 
and that its principles are by him every where re- 
cognised, appear in the traces of it, still discerni- 
ble in his soul. From this source it is, in part at 
least, that even the heathen themselves, however 
dark and ignorant, have some glimmerings of light 
from heaven, so that an apostle could say — ''These 
having not the [written] law, are a law unto them- 
selves, who show the law written in their hearts, 
their conscience also bearing witness, and their 
thoughts meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one 
another."* Carried out in its principles, this is the 
*Rom. ii; 14, 15. 



12 COVENANT OF WORKS. 

covenant that governs all the relations between man 
and man, and between man and his Maker. Its 
substance is love, and it is set forth in both the Old 
Testament and the New, as descriptive of the state 
of mind to which all men must return, before we can 
be fully prepared for heaven and glory. This fact 
is thus inculcated by our Lord Jesus Christ : — 
** Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
strength,'' " and thy neighbors as thyself."* And 
its sufficiency is declared by his apostle : " Love is 
the fulfilling of the law.'^f In its nature, it is an 
exact reflection of the moral perfections of God, 
and its observance is the highest distinction of 
which man is capable. 

The covenant of works demanded as its condi- 
tions, perfect" obedience. 

Nor was this in any degree difficult. One test 
only was instituted, by which that obedience was 
to be formally expressed ; abstinence from the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil. How simple, 
and easy, was the observance of the obligation ! 
How appaling the consequences of its violation ! 
Compliance however, as is true in regard to all the 
other laws of God, was not confined exclusively to 
external action. The state of the heart was of pri- 
mary consideration. The covenant claimed to gov- 
ern not the conduct alone, but also, then as now, 
the powers of the inner man. " God is a Spirit, and 
they that worship him, must worship him in spirit 

♦ Matt, xxii ; 37-40. f Rom. xiii : 10. 



COVENANT OF WORKS. 13 

and in truth."* ''The whole heart must be in per- 
fect submission, uninterrupted by a single insurgent 
feeling. A purit}^ of character must be maintained, 
uncontaminated by a single spot. A zeal and de- 
votion must be preserved, unrelaxing in a single 
purpose." 

The covenant of w^orks was in its nature fitted, 
and designed to give, and did give uninterrupted 
happiness, as long as its requisitions were observed. 
This is true throughout the whole moral universe of 
God. I have before intimated that man is not the 
only being under its government. It is the law of 
angels themselves. To their nature, no less than to 
man's while in a state of holiness, it is perfectly 
adapted. Those of them who "have kept their 
first estate," are conformed perfectly to all its de- 
mands. They meet, and satisfy them fully by love ; 
fervent love to God, and to all their celestial asso- 
ciates. Heaven is pervaded consequently wath the 
unbroken harmonies of love. And how unspeaka- 
bly happy ! O, who can estimate the joy, deep, 
calm, overwhelming, that fills angelic bosoms ! Nor 
was man originally, and during the whole period of 
his holiness, less happy. Who can adequately con- 
ceive of half his joys ? Whence all this pure, this 
unmingled delight ? It arose exclusively, as a pe- 
rennial fountain, from the,covenant of works. '' The 
man," said Paul, " that doeth these things^ shall live 
by them."t His bliss is unfading. Happiness em- 
braces every ultimate good. Perfect happiness, is 

♦ John iv : 24. t Rom. x : 6. 



14 COVENANT OP WORKS. 

perfect good. God intended man, and all his crea- 
tures, to be thus happy. To gain this end was the 
purpose of the covenant. To all the obedient it. 
was, and ever must be, complete in its results. 

The penalty of a violation of the covenant of 
works, next demands our attention. 

All its blessings instantly cease. Transgression 
turns them all aside, and converts them into so 
many fountains of wretchedness and woe ! And 
man, alas, became a transgressor, and incurred the 
penalty. The manner of this transgression is thus 
narrated in the sacred record : — " Now the serpent 
was more subtile than any beast of the field, w^hich 
the Lord God had made. And he said unto the 
woman ; Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of 
every tree of the garden ? And the woman said 
unto the serpent ; We may eat of the fruit of the 
trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree 
which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said ; 
Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest 
ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman ; Ye 
shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the 
day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, 
and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. And 
when the woman saw that the tree was good for 
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree 
to be desired to make one. wise, she took of the fruit 
thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her 
husband with her, and he did eat."* The deed was 
done ! The tempter triumphed. All was lost. The 

*Gen. iii:l-6. 



COVENANT OF WORKS. 15 

obligations of the covenant, and its curses alone re- 
mained. **By one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin."* Miserable and hopeless beings ! 
How can they escape? The covenant provides no 
Mediator, nor any other method of restoration to 
the purity w^hich is now lost. Between the blessing 
of obedience, and the curse of disobedience, there 
is no middle ground. ** The soul thrit sinneth, it 
shall die."t Nor does this inevitable result arise 
from a mere arbitrary decision on the part of God, 
but from the very nature of that justice, and holi- 
ness, and truth, without which the moral world 
would be but a horrid mass of confusion and de- 
struction. The law of gravitation for example, is 
essential to the existence of the physical universe. 
Remove this law, and all the " fair fabric" we be- 
hold, would be instantly dissolved. Place yourself 
in opposition to this law% in itself so wdse and be- 
nevolent, and you arc in a moment crushed and de- 
stroyed by its force. So as to the laws of health. Obey 
them and all is well. Habitually violate them, and 
you destroy your life. Thus the covenant secured 
to our first parents, while obeyed, holiness, and 
happiness, and life. Transgressed, it overwhelmed 
them in guilt, and misery, and death. 

We have now seen the covenant of works, in its 
nature, in its demands, in its blessings, and in its 
penalty. Let us, in conclusion, contemplate it in 
relation to man as a sinner. 

The violation of the covenant did not cancel his 

* Rom. V : 11. t Ezekiel xrii : 4. 



16 COVENANT OP WORKS, 

obligations still to obey all its requirements. What- 
ever disabilities may have been incurred by the 
transgression, and especially by the consequent de- 
pravity of human nature, our relations to the law 
were not thereby changed. Are those who trans- 
gress the laws of our country thereby absolved 
from the penalty denounced against future obe- 
dience ? Surely not. Are the loss of the incli- 
nation, and even the ability, when it is a con- 
sequence of previous sin, a sufficient apology for 
not complying with the demands of justice, and 
truth, to the utmost practicable extent ? A drunk- 
ard may have no wish, and he may have lost much 
of his power, to keep sober. Is it, therefore, no sin 
for him to be drunken ? No such principle obtains 
in any equitable human government. Nor does it 
in the government of God.* Embracing, as we have 
seen, in its nature, all those principles which consti- 
tute holiness, justice, and truth, this covenant re- 
mained not only unimpaired in its claims, by its 
primitive transgression, but continues in every age 
in full force. You are, therefore, to-day, as much 
obliged to be conformed to its injunctions as were 
our first parents before the fall. You do not obey 
them. Therefore, you, also are a sinner, and justly 
condemned before God. 

You inherit the condition of our first parents 
in other respects also, and especially in their expo- 
sure to misery and death, spiritual, temporal, and 
eternal. The covenant, while observed, guarded 

* Yide Way of Salration, cliap, li. 



II 



COVENANT OF WORKS. 17 

their holiness, their happiness, and their life. By 
its violation, that guard was removed, and all was 
lost. They stood before God, guilty and ruined! 
And so, for any thing man can do, they, and their 
posterity must stand forever. It is a characteristic 
inherent in the very nature of justice, that once a 
man is an offender, he can never afterwards be by 
the same law, pronounced innocent of crime. He 
may have been pure up to that hour; he may be 
pure ever after ; he may weep perpetual tears of 
penitence over his crime; but he is an offender still, 
and if justice is permitted to speak, she will pro- 
nounce him guiltj'. This is true of human laws; 
and how much more of the laws of God ! Such was 
the condition of man, M'hen he had violated the 
covenant of works. Our first parents had sinned. 
They w^ere cursed. Penitence for their crime could 
not change the fact. No subsequent good action 
could expiate their guilt. What hope had they ? 
The covenant, the only law of w^hich they had any 
knowledge, could not save them, because it con- 
tained no provisions for pardon ; because it was a 
faithful reflection of God's own holy character, and 
must be enforced ; and because with sin came de- 
pravity, for the removal of which it provided no 
method. What blessing could this violated covenant 
now confer ? It could only repeat perpetually, and it 
ever continues to repeat, guilty ; ffuilty ; guilty ! In 
this attitude did they stand before God ; and thus 
out of Christ, do we all stand before God ; criminal, 
and helpless, and lost ! 



18 THE COVENANT OP EDEN 



CHAPTER III, 

THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 

The announcement of the seed of the woman a promise of Christ ; 
this promise was a covenant ; character and work of Messiah 
declared , further explained by sacrifices ; influence of this cove- 
nant upon the faith, and piety of the patriarchs ; lessons taught 
by this covenant. 

The first announcement of a Deliverer for man, 
from the horrible position in which sin had placed 
him, w^as made in Eden, immediately after the fall, 
by God himself. It was addressed, in the presence 
of our first parents, to the malicious tempter. *' I 
will put enmity,'' said he, *' between thee, and the 
woman ; and between thy seed, and her seed. It 
shall bruise thy head ; and thou shalt bruise his 
heel."* May this declaration be accounted, and 
received, in any proper and correct sense, as a cove- 
nant ? Why I ask, may it not ? It was a stipulation, 
a promise, a declaration ojf the divine purpose, an 
appointment. Particularly, was it not "A settle- 
ment, or an establishment of things, wherein by 
means of a Mediator, God designed to reconcile 
men, and take them into a friendly relation with 
himself?" If the definition of a word may be pro- 

♦Gen.m: 15. 



THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 19 

perly substituted for the word itself, and that it 
may, no one will dispute, then is it shown by the 
exposition of the former chapter, that this an- 
nouncement is unquestionably a covenant in the 
highest sense of that term. It contained within 
itself, a promise of Messiah, with a declaration as 
to the humanity of his nature, and as to the manner 
in which having his own heel, or humanity bruised, 
but at the same time, bruising the head, or over- 
throwing the power of Satan, he would achieve the 
redemption of men. That our first parents, and all 
the primitive saints fully so understood it, there can 
reasonably' be no doubt. That your mind may be 
still more deeply impressed with these facts, let the 
whole passage in which this covenant occurs, be 
repeated. Speaking of our first parents, Moses 
says ; — ** They heard the voice of the Lord God, 
walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and 
Adam, and his wife hid themselves from the pre- 
sence of the Lord, amongst the trees of the garden. 
And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said, 
Where art thou ? And he said, I heard thy voice in 
the garden, and I was afraid, [ashamed] because I 
was naked, and I hid myself. And he said, Wh© 
told thee that thou wast naked ? Hast thou eaten 
of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou 
shouldest not eat ? And the man said, The woman 
whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of 
the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto 
the woman. What is this that thou hast done ? 
And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and 
I did eat. And the Lord said unto the serpent, 



20 THE COVENANT OP EDEN. 

Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above 
all cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon 
thy belly shall thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all 
the days of thy life. And I will put evmity between 
thee^ and the woman ; and between thy seed and her 
seed. It shall bruise thy head ; and thou shalt bruise 
his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly 
multiply thy sorrow, and thy conception ; in sorrow 
shalt thou bring forth children ; and thy desire shall 
be to thy husband ; and he shall rule over thee. 
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast heark- 
ened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of 
the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou 
shalt not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for thy 
sake. In sorrow shalr> thou eat of it all the days of 
thy life. Thorns also, and thistles, shall it bring 
forth unto thee. And thou shalt eat the herb of the 
field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread 
until thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast 
thou taken. For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt 
thou return."* 

I pause not here further to consider the appalling 
curse pronounced ; the withering blight w^hich came 
over man, and over all earthly things. These have 
been sufficiently presented in our discussion of the 
*^ covenant of works," in the previous chapter. Our 
only object is, to learn definitely, the true sense of 
the covenant of Eden, if I may so designate this 
transaction. I do not allege that it has been seri- 
ously misunderstood. There has in regard to it, 

♦Gen.m; 8,-19. 



/^ 



THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 21 

been in every age, a remarkable unity of opinion. 
But that by Biblical Interpreters generally, it has not 
been properly estimated, is to me most evident. 
Some of our most popular divines speak of it as 
" obscurely intimating a Saviour ;" others as '* giving 
faint intimations of the divine goodness ;" and even 
those who have attributed to it the highest im- 
portance, have not felt its full force and magnitude. 
Did it indeed, but " obscurely hint" a Saviour ? Did 
it give forth of him '* faint intimations" only ? It 
was in truth, nothing less than the glorious "dawning 
of the gospel" day upon our world. So it was un- 
doubtedly understood by the apostles. Paul refers 
to it thus,* "When he [Christ] cometh into the 
world he saith. Sacrifice, and offering, thou wouldest 
not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt 
offerings, and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no 
pleasure. Then said 1, Lo 1 come, in the volume" — 
the head,] the beginning — " of the book it is written 
of me, to do thy will, O God." '' By the which will 
we are sanctified, through the off'ering of the body of 
Jesus Christ, once for all. What does he mean by 
"the head," or the beginning of the book, the Bible ? 
What other passage there, but this, speaks of the 
mission, and work of Christ ? Nor is this exposition 
peculiar to christians. The Jewish Rabbies, as is 
well known, understood the covenant in the same 
sense. Speaking of it the Targum of Jerusalem 
says: — "There will be a remedy for man, but not 

* Heb. X : 5,-10. 



22 THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 

for the serpent, but he shall wound his heel, at the 
end of the days of the king Messiah." The Targum 
of Jonathan, and numerous other Hebrew authori- 
ties, say substantially the same thing. They assert 
that " The seed of the woman is Messiah."* Did 
Scott then affirm too much, when he said,t " This 
announcement comprises the whole gospel, with a 
prophetic history of the opposition with which it 
should meet, and the success with which it should 
be crowned, in all ages, and countries, until the end 
of time ?" 

But why has this covenant failed to make its full 
impression upon so many minds ? It may, perhaps, 
be on account of the singular relations in which it 
is found, and of the indirect manner in which it was 
announced. These circumstances are happily ex- 
plained by Andrew Fuller. He says, " If man had 
been in a suitable state of mind, the promise might 
have been direct, and addressed to him. But he 
was in no such state. His heart, whatever it might 
have been afterwards, was yet hardened against 
God. It was fit, therefore, that whatever designs of 
mercy were entertained concerning him, or his pos- 
terity, they should not be given in the form of a 
promise to him, but of a threatening to Satan."J 
On these accounts God said to the serpent, and not to 
them, " I will put enmity between thee, and the 
woman ; and between thy seed, and her seed. It 

* Vide Gill in loco, et Paulus Fagius. 

t Com in loco. 

t Works. Vol. 3, p. 15. 



THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 23 

shall bruise thy head ; and thou shalt bruise his 
heel." This peculiar relation of the covenant has 
also another excellency. It serves to reveal to us 
one at least, of the most precious truths in the divine 
word. It apprises us that the declaration of a Deliv- 
erer was made to man, before the sentence was pro- 
nounced which overwhelmed him with the conse- 
quences of his sins. He stood before his Creator a 
transgressor, criminal, ashamed, but still stout and 
unsubdued. He was not yet formally condemned. 
The sorrow, and suffering, and death, he had in- 
curred, were withheld. They had not descended 
upon him. How full of kindness were these deal- 
ings of God ! The remedy was thus made known, that 
man might not be utterly crushed by the blow. 
Then, and not till then, the curse came upon 
him. 

It is now I trust, apparent to you that the an- 
nouncement of a Deliverer for man in Eden, was a 
covenant, in the true gospel sense, and that it was 
so understood by all primitive saints, as well as by 
Christ, and his apostles. It was accompanied, 
also, by most important and impressive explana- 
tions of the character and work of the Deliverer, 
in the forms of divine worship then instituted. 

The worship of God has always demanded, and 
ever must require, as to its essence^ the homage as 
we have seen, of the heart. The forms of worship 
have, however, been different under different dis- 
pensations. That now instituted consisted mainly 
in the offering of slain beasts in sacrifice. These 
were wholly consumed upon the altar. The skins 



24 THE COVENANT OP EDEN. 

were reserved, and became the materials of which 
they prepared their necessary apparel. That such 
service was specifically enjoined by Jehovah, is 
sufficiently evinced by the subsequent offerings of 
Cain and Abel. If they had not been required, 
their presentation could not have constituted the 
worship of God, since no truth is more clear than 
that where there is no command there can be no 
obedience. The sacrifice of Abel, and those of 
many others afterwards, were accepted as obe- 
cience to Jehovah. They were therefore, com- 
manded by him. That of Cain was not accepted 
because it consisted not in slain animals, but fruits 
of the earth, and therefore was in form, and matter, 
a violation of the divine ordinance. God kindly 
instructed personally, our first parents in his service; 
he himself primarily officiating. The narrative is 
brief, but peculiarly graphic. "Unto Adam, and 
unto his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skins, 
and clothed them ;"* coats of the skins of those 
animals he had slain for sacrifice. They could not 
have been slain for food, because it was not then 
lawful for men to eat flesh. The appointment of 
God on this subject immediately after the fall, is 
contained in a passage already before you. He 
said to our first parents, in relation to their subsis- 
tence, " Thou shalt eat the herb of the field."f It. 
was not until after the flood that they were allowed 
animal food. God said to Noah and his family, 
after they had left the ark : " Every moving thing 

♦Gen. iii 2 21. t Gren. iii : 18. 



THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 25 

that livetliy shall be meet for you ; even as the gree^i 
herb [which alone had before been eaten] have I 
given you all things."* Would this grant now have 
been formally made, if it had previously existed ? 
Animal food was not therefore eaten by men, pre- 
vious to the flood. Consequently the beasts that 
were slain were as has been said, wholly consumed 
in sacrifice. How full of instruction are these facts ! 
I may say, adopting the quaint language of Henry :f 
** These coats of skin had a significancy. The beasts 
whose skins they were, must be slain ; slain before 
their eyes ; to show them [our first parents] what 
death is ;" " that they may see themselves as 
mortal, and dying." " They were slain not for food, 
but for sacrifice, to typify the great sacrifice which 
in the latter end of the world, should be oflfered for 
all. Thus the first thing that died was a sacrifice, 
or Christ in a figure ;" a representation of " the 
woman's seed," whose heel was to be bruised, or 
who was to suffer death for the sins of men." ^' These 
sacrifices," he continues, " were divided between 
God and man, in token of reconciliation ; the flesh 
to be offered to God, a whole burnt offering ; the 
skins given to man for clothing ; signifying that 
Jesus Christ having offered himself to God a sacri- 
fice of a sweet smelling savor, we are to clothe 
ourselves with his righteousness as with a garment, 
that the shame of our nakedness may not appear.' 
Such were the explanations given in the forms of 
worship instituted in the beginning of the world, of 

* Gen. ix : 3. t Comm. in loco. 

2 



26 THE COVENANT OF EDEN. 

the character and work of the Redeemer promised 
in the covenant. 

And is it true, as has been asserted, that all the 
saints previous to the days of Abraham, understood 
these doctrines as they have now been explained ? 
That they did, cannot be reasonably questioned. 
No other period of the world has been marked by 
instances of more devoted piety than that of which 
we now speak. But piety without intelligence is 
impracticable. It is an axiom in theology, that 
where there is no promise, or other divine declara- 
tion, there can be no faith. There is in fact, nothing 
to believe. Yet it is said, that " By faith Abel 
offered unto God, a more excellent sacrifice than 
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was 
righteous, God testifying of his gift ; and by it he 
being dead, yet speaketh." Also that, ** By faith 
Enoch was translated, that he should not see 
death ; and he was not found, because God had 
translated him ; for before his translation he had 
this testimony, that he pleased God."* Similar 
statements are true of Noah, and many more, who 
lived during that age. But what did they all be- 
lieve ? Than those contained in this covenant there 
were no other promises, no other divine declarations 
whatever. Their faith must therefore have been 
predicated alone upon the divine declarations, and 
promises made in the covenant now under consid- 
eration. 

And now, what w^ere some of these truths, may 
we not say great gospel-truths — which holy men 

* Heb, xi ; 4, 6. 



THE COVENANT OP EDEN. 27 

of primitive times, learned from the covenant of 
Eden, and upon which their faith rested ? 

1. It taught them that the great Deliverer prom- 
ised, was to be, not an angel, not any being of 
another race, but their brother ; '* the seed of 
the woman." ^ And such truly was he. For **Both 
he that sanctified, and they who are sanctified, 
are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed 
to call them brethren." And since *Uhe chil- 
dren" of men, '* are partakers of flesh and blood, 
he also himself likewise, took part of the same." 
** He took not on him the nature of angels," 
but " the seed of Abraham," because '* in all things it 
behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, 
that he might be a merciful and faithful High 
Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconcil- 
iation for the sins of the people."* And yet more. 
They learned from it, that the Messiah promised, 
was to be ** the seed of the woman" peculiarly ; that 
is, of the woman only ; in other words, as to his 
human nature, that he was to be the son of a virgin. 
The fulfilment of this declaration in Jesus of Naza- 
reth, is amply set forth by the evangelists, and 
especially by Mathew, and Luke,t with a record of 
the before so frequently repeated promise : — " He 
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the 
Highest ; and the Lord shall give unto him the 
throne of his father David ; and he shall reign over 
the house of Jacob forever ; and of his kingdom 
there shall be no end." 

♦ Heb. ii : 11,-17. • Matt, i : 18,-21 ; Luke i : 26,-33. 



28 THE COVENANT OP EDEN. 

2. They were further instructed by this covenant, 
that Messiah was to accomplish the work of re- 
demption through suffering. To Satan Jehovah 
said, " Thou shalt bruise his heel." And in all parts 
of the word of God, but especially in the New Tes- 
tament, this great truth is perpetually kept before 
our eyes. " It became him, for whom are all things, 
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons 
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation 
perfect through suffering."* And again. *'Thus 
it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to 
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third 
day ; and that repentence and remission of sins 
should be preached in his name among all 
nations."! 

3. They were also here distinctly taught that 
Messiah, in his mission upon earth, would achieve 
a glorious conquest over all the powers of dark- 
ness. And blessed be God, he has effectually 
'' bruised the head" of the great enemy. For this 
purpose the Son of man was manifested, that he 
might destroy the works of the devil." J By his suf- 
ferings ** He hath abolished death, and brought life 
and immortality to light through the gospel."|| And 
ultimately being *' lifted up from the earth," he " will 
draw all men unto him.§ All sin will at last be 
blotted out, and Jesus will reign over the whole 
earth. 

In these truths they had, as you must perceive, 

* Heb. ii : 10, 14. t Luke xiv : 46, 47. 

1 1 John iii : 8. || 2 Tim. i : 10. 

§ Jobn xii : 82. 



THE COVENANT OP EDEN. 29 

the sum and essence of the gospel of Christ. They 
were sustained, directed and saved, by the same 
truth, and the same grace, that now animate and 
fill your heart with peace and joy. 

We have now seen that the announcement in 
Eden of a Deliverer for man, was a promise of Christ, 
and that this promise was a covenant in the highest 
and most exalted sense ; that the nature and work 
of Messiah was further explained in the forms of 
worship then instituted ; that the influence of this 
covenant upon the faith and piety of the early 
patriarchs, and of all the saints up to the days of 
Abraham was of the most elevated character ; and 
that it taught them that Christ was to be their, and 
our brother, that he was to be the son of a virgin, 
that the work of redemption was to be accomplished 
by him through suftering, and that by his mission 
into our world he would achieve a glorious con- 
quest over all the powers of darkness, and ultimately 
"fill the whole earth with the knowledge of the 
glory of God, as the waters covers the sea." With 
these expositions, I submit this part of our subject. 
I am gratified to find that in these views, we have 
the concurrence of the true men of every age ; the 
ancient Hebrews, and all modern evangelical chris- 
tions. How rich was that grace which led to the 
provision of this glorious remedy for sin, and the 
merciful kindness which prompted its early devel- 
opement to men. I entreat you to study it carefully, 
and prayerfully, until in all its characteristics, it is 
fixed in your heart, and your soul overflows with 
the gratitude it is so well fitted to inspire. 



80 COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 

Testimonies of its existence ; period of its formation ; purposes it 
contemplated ; parties to the covenant ; its promises. 

The divine declaration, and appointment con- 
tained in the covenant of Eden, and v^'^hich vi^e con- 
sidered in the last chapter, could unquestionably 
never have been made, had not God entertained to- 
wards men previous purposes of mercy. That when 
these purposes were formed, no sin had been com- 
mitted by them, detracts from this proposition noth- 
ing of its force, or importance. It was, we must 
remember, the act of him who said, '' I am God, 
and there is none else ; I am God, there is none like 
me, declaring the end from the beginning ; from 
ancient times the things that are not yet done, 
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all 
my pleasure."* It was impossible in the nature of 
things, that he should not foresee the defection, and 
fall of our race. All the events which mark the 
history of the universe, were necessarily before the 
omniscient mind, ere the existence of our world. 
Jehovah beheld and pitied our miseries, and moved 



COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 31 

by infinite grace, he determined to provide the 
means for our deliverance and salvation. This he 
was pleased to do in the covenant of redemptiony 
now to be considered. 

To the actual existence of the covenant of redemp- 
tion, called by most writers the covenant of grace, 
the word of God bears, in every part, the amplest 
testimony. 

The character of a '' Surety,'' for example, given 
to the Saviour in the divine oracles, necessarily in- 
volves the covenant, since the least that can be said 
of that relation, is that he who bears it, is consti- 
tuted the representative of others, and thereby 
comes under an engagement to fulfil certain obliga- 
tions in their name, and for their benefit.* And 
when about to offer up his own life upon the cross, 
he said, *'Lo I come to do thy will, O God." But 
how could this fearful sacrifice have been known to 
be the will of God, had he not previously so de- 
clared it? The prophets abound in declarations 
affirmative of the covenant of redemption. To 
Messiah the Father said, " I the Lord have called 
thee," *' and will give thee for a covenant of the 
people ; for a light of the Gentiles ; to open the 
blind eyes ; to bring out the prisoners from the pri- 
son ; and them that sit in darkness from the prison 
house."t And again, " Thus saith the Lord," " I will 
give thee for a covenant of the people."^ But more 
fully, he says of him :— ** If his soul"— (I follow the 
version of Lowth) — *' shall be a propitiary sacrificCi 

* H«b. vU ; 22. t Iw* iT : 6, 7. t Iw- xlix : 8, ?. 



32 COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 

he shall prolong their days, and the gracious pur- 
pose of Jehovah shall prosper in his hands. Of the 
travail of his soul he shall see" [^he fruit] — '' and 
be satisfied. By the knowledge of him, shall my 
servant justify many, for the punishment of their 
iniquities shall he bear. Therefore will I distribute 
to him the many for his portion ; and the mighty 
people shall he share for his spoil, because he hath 
poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered 
with the transgressors ; and he bare the sins of 
many ; and he made intercession for the transgres- 
sors."* The last of the prophets, announcing his 
coming, says : — " The Lord whom ye seek, shall 
suddenly come to his temple ; even the Messenger 
of the covenant whom ye delight in ; behold he 
shall come, saith the Lord of hosts."! From these 
and similar texts you learn, that by the gracious 
act of the Father, Christ the Son was constituted 
the Surety of his people ; that when '* he gave him- 
self for us," it was according to the previously de- 
clared will of God ; and that he was called to this 
work by the Father, who, for our redemption, made 
his soul an offering for sin. Did all this occur 
without any previous consent or agreement ? Who 
then can question the reality of the covenant of 
redemption ? 

That this covenant came into being before the fall 
of man, is a truth sustained in the divine word by 
the clearest evidence. 

It is fully supported by Peter, wlien he says, ad- 

* Isa. Uii : 10-12. fMal.iii:!. 



COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 83 

dressing Christians in all lands : — '' Ye were not re 
deemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, 
from your vain conversation [manner of life] re- 
ceived by tradition from your fathers, but with the 
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without 
blemish and without spot ; who verily was fore- 
ordained before the foundation of the world, but 
was manifested in these last times for you, who by 
him do believe in God, who raised him from the 
dead, and gave him glory ; that your faith, and hope, 
might be in God."* Paul bears concurrent testimony 
in the declaration that " God who cannot lie, pro- 
mised us eternal life before the world began."t 
He says, " He hath saved us, and called us, with a 
holy calling, not according to our works, but ac- 
cording to his own purpose, and grace, given us in 
Christ Jesus, before the world began."J And yet 
more : — " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed^us with all spiritual 
blessings, in heavenly places in Christ, according as 
he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of 
the world, that we should be holy, and without 
blame before him in love."|| The covenant of re- 
demption was, therefore, brought into being before 
the creation of the world. 

The purpose of the covenant is expressed by its 
name ; it looked to the redemption and salvation of 
men. The plan, however, by which these results 
were to be gained, must necessarily be such as 
would, at the same time, glorify the purity and jus- 

♦lPet.i:18. tlTim.l:2. t2Tim.i;9, ||Eph.l:5-6. 
3* 



34 COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 

tice, and honor alike, of all the persons of the ado- 
rable Trinity. Any arrangement which would fail 
of these ends, it is impossible he could have devised 
or approved. Had man been restored to happiness 
without meeting these demands, God, the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, would have been dis- 
honored. It was the design of the covenant, there- 
fore, to bring into perfect harmony the salvation of 
men, and the glory of God. 

The contracting parties appear distinctly before 
your mind. This part of our subject, however, 
demands somewhat more of particularity. 

It is plain that man could not have been one of 
these parties, since, as we have seen, the covenant 
was made before the foundation of the world, and 
he, of course, was not then in being. His happiness 
was indeed its object, but in its formation he could 
assuredly have had no active participation. But 
even had this been otherwise, his fulfilment of the 
necessary terms of redemption would have been 
impossible. None but a divine person could do this, 
who joining himself to our nature, could bear Al- 
mighty wrath, and " magnify the law" by a perfect 
obedience. Angels could not, for the same reasons, 
have been parties to this covenant. They excel men 
in the spirituality of their essence, and the extent 
of their powers. Still, like men, their nature is too 
limited. And, besides, they belong to another class 
of beings, who never could, either by incarnation, or 
in any other manner, become so related to us as to 
accomplish the design proposed. Who then were 



COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 85 

the parties covenanting ? They vv^ere, I answer, the 
same w^ho in the beginning said, " Let us make man 
in our image, and after ou7' likeness."* They vv^ere 
God, as he has made himself known to us, in the 
exalted persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Ghost. Truly, ** The Lord our God is one Lord," 
and "besides him there is no other." But it is 
equally true that, for the purpose of redeeming us, 
he has revealed himself in the form of a glorious 
Trinity, all the persons of whom are " the same in 
essence, and equal in divine properties." To one 
of these sin was in every sense as offensive as to 
another. The honor of each was alike engaged to 
demand its rebuke and punishment. The concur- 
rence of all was, therefore, alike necessary to any 
expedient by which the penalty might be averted 
from those by whom sin should be committed. Nor 
was this concurrence difficult, since the love which 
impelled to redemption, burned with equal intensity 
in the hearts of each. The promise of eternal life 
was indeed made by the Father, but it was not ex- 
clusively his. It was equally expressive of the good- 
ness of both the other persons in the Godhead. And 
also the life promised was, in its nature, to be the 
enjoyment no less of the love and favor of the Son, 
and of the Spirit, than of the Father. When, there- 
fore, John prayed for grace, and peace, for the 
churches of Asia, he supplicated them not only from 
" Him who was, and is, and is to come," that is, the 
Father, but also from the Holy Ghost, whom he 

* Gen, i : 26, 



86 COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. ma 

calls on account of the variety and fullness of his 
gifts, *'The seven Spirits which are before the 
throne ;" and " from Jesus Christ, who is the faith- 
ful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and 
the prince of the kings of the earth."* Each was 
alike interested, since the covenant was in its prac- 
tical development, to vindicate the right, and to 
manifest the glory of all. Redemption was, there- 
fore, the result of the united wisdom, and grace, of 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 

One of the parties to the covenant was, therefore, 
God the Father. 

That the adorable Jehovah might have left our 
guilty race to perish in their sin, all intelligent be- 
ings must acknowledge. He was not in justice 
bound to interfere in their behalf. As the righteous 
governor of the universe, he might have proceeded 
to uphold the authority of his law, by executing its 
penalty upon the disobedient, and thus to give an 
awful example of vengeance to the intelligent in- 
habitants of the various provinces of his empire. 
His goodness did not require that he should rescue 
his rebellious subjects from the misery which they 
had brought upon themselves, because he had al- 
ready given of this an ample display in their crea- 
tion and endowments, and it was still exhibited in 
the happiness diffused through all the regions of 
innocence. His glory does not depend upon the 
manifestation of any particular attribute, but of 
them all, on proper occasions, and in full harmou}''. 



COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 37 

He is glorified when he bestows blessings upon the 
righteous, and he is no less glorified when he inflicts 
punishment upon the wicked. The event shows 
that his glory is greater in the salvation, than it 
would have been in the destruction of men. It ought, 
however, to be considered, that his glory means 
nothing but the manifestation of his character to 
his creatures, and that as there was no necessity 
for such a manifestation, and as it could contribute 
in no degree to his felicity, it was perfectly volun- 
tary, and might have as well been withheld. The 
only necessity which can be admitted, is that if he 
did show himself to his creatures, the exhibition 
should correspond with the greatness and excellence 
of his character. He might had he pleased, not 
have created a single being to contemplate his per- 
fections. When he did create them, and they dis- 
honored him, he might have cast them off* forever.* 
It was under these circumstances that " God so 
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life."! The whole arrange- 
ment was, therefore, of his own sovereign grace, 
uninfluenced by human merit. But this conclusion 
is not only inferable from the facts before you. His 
entire sovereignty in this whole transaction is ex- 
pressly affirmed in his word : — '' Not by works of 
righteousness which we have done, but according 
to his mercy he saved us, by the washing [purify- 
ing] of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy 

« Vide Dick's TheoL, yol. i, pp. A^BS, 489, t John ill ; 16, 17. 



38 COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 

Ghost ; which he shed on us abundantly, through 
Jesus Christ our Saviour ; that being justified by his 
grace, we should be made heirs, according to the 
hope of eternal life."* 

Another of the parties in the covenant of redemp- 
tion was God the Son. 

Nor were his acts in this behalf, less sovereign 
than those of the Father. In all respects both the 
Father and the Son were moved by the same con- 
siderations. It was the prerogative, however, alone 
of the Son, to assume our nature, thus becom- 
ing our representative head, in a sense similar to 
thai sustained to us by " the first Adam," to meet, 
and satisfy on our behalf, all the claims of divine 
justice. Having assumed this relation in the cove- 
nant, he was substituted in our place. His acts, 
therefore, had legal respect to those whom he re- 
presented, and by the supreme Lawgiver were held 
as a full equivalent for the sins of his people. Hav- 
ing in himself the power to redeem us, he gladly 
undertook this great work. He himself says in 
regard to it, " I delight to do thy will, O my God."f 
He is indeed expressly made known to us as *' The 
second Adam.^' " The first man Adam, was made a 
living soul. The last Adam was made a quicken- 
ing Spirit. Howbeit that was not first which was 
spiritual, but that which was natural, and after- 
ward that which is spiritual. The first man is of 
the earth, earthy. The second man is the Lord from 
heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that 

*Titiii.6-7. tPi.xl;7,8. 



COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 39 

are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such are they 
also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the 
image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image 
of the heavenly."* And still more. '' Not as the 
offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the 
offence of one many be dead, much more the grace 
of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, 
Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not 
as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the 
judgment was by one to condemnation ; but the free 
gift is of many offences unto justification. For if 
by one man's offence death reigned by one, much 
more they who receive abundance of grace, and of 
the gift of fighteousness, shall reign in life, by one, 
Jesus Christ."t Thus clearly stated is the repre- 
sentative character of Adam and of Christ. The 
result of their agencies were different; the one 
being the cause of guilt, depravity, and death ; the 
other of righteousness, sanctification, and life. Their 
relations to us are similar, the federal association 
of Christ being as clearly stated as is that of Adam. 
If the first man had not been our federal head, we 
should not have suffered by his transgression. If 
the second man, '* the Lord from heaven," had not 
been our federal head, we should not have been 
benefited by his obedience. Our relations to them 
being alike, Paul says, *'As by one man's diso- 
: bedience many were made sinners, so by the obe- 
; dience of one shall many be made righteous."J He 
\ in a word became, by this covenant, our Mediator, 

*10or.XT;i5-4». f Rom. ▼: 16-17. 1:1^.1$, 



40 COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 

** According as it is written," " There is one God, 
and one Mediator between God and men, the man 
Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to 
be testified in due time."^ 

The other party to the covenant of redemption 
was God the Holy Ghost. 

Partaking in the love, and grace, of the Father 
and the Son, he acting with the same freedom, en- 
gaged to become the efficient agent by which men 
might be regenerated, sanctified, and prepared to 
receive and enjoy the blessings of eternal life, and 
thus to consummate the end for which we were 
redeemed. A necessity exists for the work of the 
Spirit in salvation, no less imperative than for the 
work of the Father, and of the Son. '^ Except a 
man be born again — born of the Spirit — he cannot 
see the kingdom of God."f 

These are the covenanting parties, the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and such, briefly, is 
the part which each engaged to perform in the re- 
demption of men. 

Let us now, for a moment, consider the promises 
embodied in the covenant of redemption. 

Some of these promises are made exclusively to 
the Son, as the Messiah : — *' The Lord said unto my 
Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy 
enemies thy footstool. The Lord will send the rod 
[the people] of thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou 
in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be 
willing, in the day of thy power."! And again. 

« 1 Tim. U : 6, 6. f John iii : 3-XO. t ^h ox : 1-8. 



COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 41 

** Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for 
thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
for thy possession."* And again "His kingdom 
is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from 
generation to generation."! I^ view of these and 
similar declarations, an Apostle says, " God hath 
highly exalted him, and given him a name above 
every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee 
should bow, of things in heaven, and things on 
earth, and things under the earth ; and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to 
the glory of God the Father.J" 

Others of the promises of the covenant are given 
to Messiah for his people. 

'' To every one of us is given grace according to 
the measure of the gift of Christ, Therefore he 
saith, When he ascended up on high, he led cap- 
tivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."|| These 
gifts are all comprehended in the " Hope of eternal 
life, which God who cannot lie, promised before the 
world began,"§ And to whom but to Christ, could 
this promise before the world began, have been 
made ; and in what relation, if not in connection with 
the covenant of redemption ? ** In him was life, 
and the life was the light of men."TI " Neither is 
there salvation in any other, for there is none other 
name under heaven, given among men, whereby we 
must be saved."** John referring to this subject 
says, *' This is the promise that he hath promised 

* Ps. ii : 8. t Daniel iv : 3. % Acts iv : 12. || Eph. iv : 7, 8. 
§Tit.i:2. HJohn i : 4. *^* Acts iv : 12. 



42 COVENANT OP REDEMPTION. 

US, even eternal life."^ Nor are these and such like, 
as pardon, and justification, the only blessings which 
come immediately from him. Jle also stipulates 
others to be conferred hy the Holy Spirit. " I will," 
said he, " put my laws into their mind, and write 
them in their hearts ; and I will be to them a God, 
and they shall be to me a peop]e."t Thus he secures 
your enlightment, your regeneration, and your sanc- 
tification, for which when an apostle prays, he pre- 
dicates his assurance of an answer, upon the faith- 
fulness of God to his promise given in the cove- 
nant. " Faithful is he that calleth you, who also 
will do it."t 

And how '' great and precious" are his promises, 
made through Christ, directly to his people ! Upon 
these, delightful as would be their full contempla- 
tion, we may not now dwell. I ^yill detain you only 
to remark, that these promises pledge you grace to 
direct and keep you in life, and to sustain and com- 
fort you in death ; they assure you a happy resur- 
rection ; justification at the tribunal of Christ ; and 
in heaven everlasting glory. 

Thus we have seen the actual existence of the 
covenant of redemption ; the previous period at 
which it was brought into being ; the purposes it 
contemplated ; the parties covenanting, and the gra- 
cious promises it extends to his people. This was 
the covenant upon which was predicated the an- 
nouncement in Eden of the Deliverer from sin, under 
the power and penalty of which man had fallen, by 

•lJoliail:20. t H«)J. viU : 8-13. tIThmv:2i. 



COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. 43 

a violation of the provisions contained in the cove- 
nant of works. Well then may v^e, w^ith all our 
heart, join in that exalted thanksgiving uttered by 
the beloved disciple, " Unto him that loved us, and 
washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father, 
unto him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. 
Amen." 



44 COVENANT OF PROMISE 



CHAPTER V. 

THE COVENANT OF PROMISE IN CHRIST TO ABRAHAM. 

Purpose of the covenant ; the original promise ; its repetition with 
an oath of God ; renewal and transfer of the covenant to Isaac ; 
to Jacob ; to Judah 5 to David ; its identity in every repetition ; 
the same in its purposes, and its promises, with the covenant in 
Eden, and the covenant of redemption. 

The promises of God in the covenant of Eden, 
sustained triumphantly, the piety of his saints, until 
the covenant in Christ was announced to Abraham. 
Up to this time all that had been certainly revealed 
as to the person of Christ, was that he was to be of 
the human race, eminently " the seed of the woman ;" 
but of what particular family, or nation, had not as 
yet transpired. Where men were to look for him, 
whether in Egypt, in Babylon, in Assyria, or in 
some other land, no one was informed. The object 
of the covenant now to be considered, was not more 
to renew the former promises of a Saviour, than it 
was to make known his family and place. For this 
great honor Abraham, *' the friend of God," was 
selected ; and Canaan, ** that land of vine clad hills, 
and blooming vallies," was designated as the scene 
of Messiah's glorious mission. 

Abraham's place was " Ur of the Chaldees." 
There he received a divine command indicative of 






WITH ABRAHAM. 45 

some future purpose of Jehovah, what he knew not. 
'*The God of glory'' appeared to him, and said, 
"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, 
and go into the land which I shall show thee." 
Promptly he obeyed, "and went out, 'not knowing 
whither he went." Providence directed his steps 
to Haran, where he remained until he had per- 
formed the last sad rites of sepulture for his aged 
father. Then again, " The Lord said to Abraham, 
Depart to a land that I will shew thee, And I will 
make thee a great nation. And I will bless thee, 
and make thy name great. And thou shalt be a 
blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, 
and curse him that curseth thee. And in thee shall 
all families of the earth he blessed.^ " In this simple 
narrative we have the original promise made to 
Abraham, which Paul calls '' the covenant of God^ 
in Christ,'^^ or the pledge that Messiah should come of 
his family. This promise was made when the patri- 
arch was seventy-five years old, in the year of the 
world two thousand and eighty-two, and nineteen 
hundred and twenty-two years before the advent 
of Messiah. He received and embraced it with 
unwavering faith, and devoutly and promptly com- 
plied with the command with which it was asso- 
ciated. He " departed as the Lord had spoken to 
him," with all his family and substance. And as 
Moses instructs us, " They went from Haran, to go 
into the land of Canaan ; and into the land of Canaan 
they came. And Abram passed through the land, 

* Gen. xii : 1, 3. 



46 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

to the place of Sychem, to the plaia of Moreh,'"* a 
beautiful valley between the mountains Ebal and 
Gerizim, where he fixed his residence, and " builded 
an altar unto the Lord," who there again appeared 
to him, and said, " To thee will I give this land."t 
Upon these events, and in explanation of the full 
import of the covenant, an inspired apostle says, 
" Now to Abraham and his seed, were the promises 
made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many ; but 
as of one, and to thy seed ; which is Christ." J 

But Abraham had subsequently, assurances on 
this subject, still more full, and emphatic. More 
than forty years he had resided, " as a pilgrim and a 
stranger," in Canaan, when the covenant was re- 
newed, **and ratified tvith an oath,^^ Mean time his 
faith had been subjected to various trials of the 
severest character. He and his wife had now both 
reached a very great age; he about a hundred and his 
wife ninety years, and they were still without issue. : 
In the ordinary course of things, as respects posterity \ 
they were both, as Paul justly remarks, **as good 
as dead."J The promised son came not ! How 
could he believe that he would come, or that the 
promise would, or could, ever be fulfilled ? We are 
assured however, that ** Abraham staggered not." 
His faith was unshaken. ** With God nothing is im- 
possible." Isaac at length was born ! And under the 
circumstances, his birth was as truly miraculous, as 
was that of the Saviour himself All his cherished 
hopes were realized, and this son so dear to his 

* Gen. 2di : 1-3. f lb. 4-6 % Heb. xi : 12. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 47 

heart, was now verging towards manhood, when 
occurred another trial of his faith^ infinitely more 
painful and appalling than the former. " Take now 
thy son," said God to the aged patriarch, ** thine 
only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go to the 
land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt ofier- 
ing !" But could this command be really from on 
high ! Had he not in this case, every reason to 
distrust the evidence of even his own senses ? Could 
infinite goodness require of a father, a deed so hor- 
rible? Thus Abraham might have reasoned. But 
no such inquiries were in his heart. It was enough 
that God had spoken. Of this he was assured. He 
therefore, hesitated not to obey, but hastened to the 
appointed mountain ; builded there the prescribed 
altar ; placed upon it the necessary wood ; bound 
his son, laid him upon the pile, grasped the knife, 
and stretched forth his hand to strike the fatal 
blow ; when his proceeding was arrested by a 
voice from above ! *' Abraham, lay not thy hand 
upon the lad ; neither do thou any thing to 
, him ; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing 
I thou hast not withheld from me thy son, thine only 
1 son."* Another glorious victory was achieved. 
Faith had again triumphed. Paul illustrating this 
j cardinal grace, thus refers to the incident before 
I us : — " By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered 
' up Isaac ; and he that had received the promises, 
offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was 

j *Gen. xxii: 1,-13. 



48 COVENANT OP PROMISE 

said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called ; accounting 
that God was able to raise him up even from the 
dead ; from whence also he received him in a 
figure.''* When these and other scenes had passed, 
and which are recorded, that ** we upon whom the 
ends of the earth have come," may imitate the un- 
wavering confidence in the word of God, which 
characterized '' the father of the faithful," then 
Jehovah said to Abraham : — '' By myself have I 
sworn,^^ " that blessing I will bless thee ; and multi- 
plying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of 
heaven ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his 
enemies. And in thy seed shall all the earth be 
blessed.^^-f These trials of Abraham's faith, and 
repetitions in the strongest forms, to him of " the 
covenant of promise," were, like the sufferings of 
Job, not especially necessary on his account, but 
were for our advantage. Therefore said Paul, 
** When God made promise to Abraham, because he 
could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 
saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multi- 
plying I will multiply thee." " Men verily swear 
by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to f | 
them, an end of all strife." So '* God, willing more 
abundantly to show unto [us the true] heirs of 
promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed 
it with an oath, that by two immutable things [the 
promise in the original covenant, and the oath in its 
repetition] in which it was impossible for God to 

* Heb. xi : 17, 18. f Gen. xxii : 15, 18. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 49 

lie, we might have strong consolation^ who have fled 
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us ; 
which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both 
sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that 
within the vail, whither our forerunner is for us 
entered, even Jesus" Christ.* 

" The covenant of promise to Abraham, of God in 
Christ," is now before you. It is said by the apostle, 
to have been " the preaching of the gospel to Abra- 
ham." " The scripture foreseeing that God would 
justify the heathen through faith, preached before 
the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all 
nations be blessed."t To Adam also, was this cove- 
nant as announced in Eden, no less " the preaching 
of the gospel," since it was "the glad tidings" of a 
Deliverer from sin, and of eternal life, and salvation. 
I will also remark in passing, that the blessings 
promised in all these covenants — the covenants of 
redemption, of Eden, and of Abraham — were in 
their spiritual irnport, never designed to be, nor 
are they truly, confined to any one family, or nation. 
The possible impression of their partial or Hebrew 
bearing, is carefully guarded against, in the very 
language of the covenants themselves, and earnestly 
denied by both prophets and apostles. They em- 
braced specifically, " all the families of the earth," 
and revealed a Saviour, who is '^ a light to lighten 
the Gentiles,^^ as well as '' the glory of his people 
Israel.X " Of a truth," " God is no respecter of per- 

* Heb. Ti : 13-20. f Gal. iii : IG, 17. % Luke ii : 32. 
3 



50 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

sons ; but in every nation,"- — and this has been ever 
SO — " he that feareth him, and worketh righteous- 
ness, is accepted with him."* 

We now pass from the period of Abraham, and 
proceed to consider the frequent repetitions to his 
successors, at various times, during more than eight 
hundred years, of this same " covenant of promise, 
confirmed before of God in Christ."t 

To Isaac, his son, and heir, this covenant, about a 
hundred and fifty years afterwards, was solemnly 
renewed, and transferred. In the narrative of this 
transaction by Moses, you are informed that a 
famine prevailed in Canaan, and that to find sus- 
tenance for himself, and, his family, Isaac was 
obliged to leave for a time, the place of his resi- 
dence. He went therefore "unto Abimelech, the 
king of the Philistines, unto Gerar. And the Lord 
appeared unto him and said, Go not down into 
Egypt;" — whither it seems, he was disposed to direct 
his steps; — " Dwell in the land which 1 shall tell thee 
of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee. 
For unto thee, and unto thy seed, will I give all 
these countries. And I will perform my oath which 
1 sware unto Abraham thy father. And I will make 
thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven ; and 
will give unto thy seed all these countries. And in 
thy seed shall all the nations of the earth he blessed^X 
The identity of this covenant with that of Abraham^ 
cannot be questioned, since in the covenant itself, 
this fact is expressly declared : — '' I will perform 

* Acts X : 34, 35. t GaL iii ; 17. % Gen. 26 : l*-5. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 51 

unto thee my oath which I sware unto Abraham 
thy father." 

Fort\^-four years after this event, the same cove- 
nant was repeated, and transferred to Jacob, the 
son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham. Jacob had 
now reached the age of manhood. Painful events 
had occurred in his father's house. He was about 
to leave the scenes of his early days, and enter the 
great theatre of life, preparatory to which his father 
gave him his formal blessing. How full of tender- 
ness and affection was that prayer ! " God Al- 
mighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and 
multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of 
people ; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to 
thee and to thy seed with thee ; that thou mayest 
inherit the land in w^hich thou art a stranger, which 
God gave to Abraham. And Isaac sent away 
Jacob."* And " Jacob went out from Beersheba 
and went towards Haran. And he lighted on a 
certain place, and tarried there all night, because 
the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that 
place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in 
that place to sleep. And he dreamed ; and behold 
a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it 
reached to heaven ; and behold the angels of God 
ascending, and descending upon it ! And behold the 
Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of 
Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The 
land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and 
to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of 

* Gen. xxviii : 3-5. 



52 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

the earth. And thou shalt spread abroad to the 
west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the 
south. And in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the 
families of the earth be blessed.^^* Such is the form 
and language, in which the covenant is transferred 
to Jacob. This also, contains within itself, as did 
that to Isaac, the declaration that it is identically 
the same covenant previously given to Abraham. 
Jacob is now assured that he is to be the Father of 
Messiah. 

The scenes in the life of Jacob, were many and 
various, and not a few of them of the most touching 
character. When " his pilgrimage upon earth" was 
about to close, seventy one years after he had been 
honored with the covenant, he assembled in his 
chamber, in Goshen, his twelve^sons, and in an address 
replete with affection, faith, piety and eloquence, 
constituted them into "the Twelve Tribes of Israel.^'* 
Upon each of the tribes he pronounced an appro- 
priate blessing, prophetic of its future circum- 
stances, and character ; he assigned them all their 
places in the promised land ; but to Judah alone, 
and especially, he transmitted the covenant received 
from his fathers. "The promised land," Bishop 
Newton justly observes, '^ Jacob might divide among 
all his children. But the promise of being the 
progenitor of Messiah, must be confined to ore 
only." That distinction, by divine direction, was 
conferred upon Judah. Thus he blessed that fa- 
vored tribe : — ^* The sceptre shall not depart from 

*Gen. xxviii: 11-14. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 53 

Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until 
Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the 
people be."* The sense of the covenant in the form 
which it here assumes, need not be mistaken, and 
yet it has been somewhat embarrassed, partly 
perhaps, because the authors of our common ver- 
sion of the scriptures seem not to have understood 
it ; and partly because expositors generally, appear 
not to have comprehended its true relations. A 
few remarks in explanation from me, is therefore 
necessary. I may just observe that the word trans- 
lated sceptre,^ means literally a rod^ and does not, 
as so many have imagined, refer here to the regal 
rule of Judah, but is used metaphorically, to repre- 
sent the tribe. The substance of this part of the 
passage is therefore, an assurance that whatever 
may become of the other tribes, the rod, or tribe of 
Judah, shall endure in its distinct, and separate, and 
full existence, until the Messiah promised — the 
Shiloh — springing from that tribe, shall come and 
accomplish his mission upon earth. I may also re- 
mark that the term rendered Lawgiver^X here means 
simply, a teacher, or prophet, and nothing more. 
With these corrections, the whole text will read 
truly, and plainly thus : — From Judah his distinct 
existence as a tribe shall not depart, nor among his 
offspring shall a teacher be w^anting, till Messiah 
come, and unto him shall all people be gathered. 
God here pledges that he will himself watch over 
and preserve this trihe^ until " the desire of all na- 

* Gen. xlix : 10. J^;^^^^ t ^^TXQ t 



54 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

tions shall appear." And how faithfully, in his good 
providence, this pledge was redeemed, is in the 
subsequent history of his people, familiar to all who 
study the sacred records. The other tribes, as is 
well known, fell into the grossest idolatry, from 
which no admonitions, or judgments, could recall 
them. They were at length abandoned to the fury 
of their enemies, by whom they were overcome, 
and carried into hopeless captivity. More than 
seven hundred years before Shiloh appeared, they 
were all irrecoverably lost, among the nations of the 
east. Judah by the evident intervention of almighty 
power, was indestructible, until the promise in this 
covenant, was gloriously accomplished. 

Six hundred years had now passed away since 
the transfer of the^ covenant to Judah. Israel had 
taken possession of the promised land. Every foe 
was conquered, and all the tribes, united, prosper- 
ous and happy, lived securely under the government 
of the '' man after God's own heart." Under these 
circumstances God appeared to David, and '' swore 
with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins 
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ."^ 
The form of inspired language, ever after this re- 
newal of the covenants, connects Messiah with the 
throne of David ; his throne being plainly a meta- 
phor employed to express with emphasis, Christ's 
spiritual reign. " Thy seed,^^ said Jehovah to David, 
'* will I establish forever, and [thus] build up thy 
throne to all generations. t It was in allusion to 

* Acts ii : 30. % Psalm Ixxxix : 3, 4. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 55 

these promises, that David himself said, in his last 
moments, **The God of Israel hath made with me, 
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and 
sure."* The exposition of this covenant is beauti- 
fully given by one of the prophets. Referring to 
the coming of Christ he says : — " In that day [the 
opening of the gospel] there shall be a root of Jesse, 
w^hich shall stand for an ensign of the people ; to it 
shall the Gentiles seek ; and his rest shall be glori- 
ous.f Previous to this transaction, Messiah was 
known only as ^'The seed of the woman," who should 
redeem us by. suffering ; the substitute for man to 
divine justice ; the Deliverer appointed by the 
Father ; the seed of Abraham ; the Shiloh, in whom 
all the nations and families of the earth should 
be blessed. Thenceforward he is known as " the 
Prince ;" the " Ruler of the people ;" ^^the David ;" 
the " King of Israel ;" and by one or another of 
these, or similar titles, he is constantly designated. 
This is the style of Jeremiah, for example, through 
whom God said to Israel : — '' If ye can break my 
covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, 
and that there should[not be day and night in their 
season, then may also my covenant with David be 
broken, that he should not have a Son [the Christ] 
to sit upon his throne. "J It is the style of Daniel, 
to whom it was said by the angel: "Understand 
that from the going forth of the commandment to 
restore, and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the 
< prince, shall be seven weeks, and three score and 

* 2 Sam xxiii : 5. f Isa xi : 10. J Jere xxsdii : 20, 21. 



56 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

two weeks; [of years] ^' and after three score and 
two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for 
himself.""^' Take Micah as another example: — 
^* Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little 
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall 
he come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel ! 
whose goings forth have been from old, from 
everlasting."! 

It is necessary to pause here, until I have justified 
the remark made a moment since, that " the throne 
of David" upon which Christ is to sit, is employed 1 1 
always, as a metaphor to represent his spiritual 
reign. A mistake on this point has led to a false 
philology in religion, by which a full impression of 
the sense of the covenant with David, has been 
turned aside, anrf painfully weakened. It has been 
supposed to be, not what it really is, the repetition 
and transfer to him of '' the covenant of promise" to 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Judah, but another 
and distinct covenant, which they have been pleased 
to call *' The Covenant of Royalty /" And what do 
they mean by "the covenant of royalty ?" If simply 
that David had the promise of God, that Messiah 
who will reign over spiritual Israel forever, should 
come of his family, and consummate the covenant, 
then they but perplex the subject by new, and unex- 
plained terms, without any corresponding advan- 
tage. But if they mean, as I understand them, that 
this covenant guarantied to David the occupancy of 
his throne, by one of his own descendants, until the 
coming of Messiah, and that Christ at his second 

^ Dana ix : 25, 26. t Micb. v : 2, 



WITH ABRAHAM. 57 

coming, or at some other period, would occupy it 
literally, their interpretation is contradicted by the 
facts in history, and by the explanations of both 
Christ himself, and of his apostles. 

The facts in history contradict this interpretation. 
David transmitted the kingdom of Israel to Solomon, 
and Solomon to Rehoboam. This last king, byhe 
haughtiness of his bearing, and the cruelty of his 
measures, forfeited the attachment of his people. 
Ten of the tribes revolted under Jeroboam, became 
completely dissevered from their brethren, and v^ere 
never afterwards recovered to the government. 
Here the reign of the family of David over all Israel, 
actually, and forever ceased. Indeed, from begin- 
ning to end, it continued at most, but three f;enera- 
tio7is, or about one century. Over Judah alone, his 
descendants continued to reign for several centuries 
more. At length however Nebuchadnezzar invaded 
and conquered the nation, destroyed Jerusalem, 
burned the temple, carried the people into captivity, 
and desolated the whole land. With this overthrow, 
which occurred five hundred and eighty nine years 
before the coming of Christ, ended finally, the reign 
even over Judah itself, of the family of David. His 
literal throne existed no more. It is true that after 
the Babylonish captivity, which continued seventy 
years, a remnant of the people returned, and Judah 
was ruled a hundred and twenty eight years, by 
Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The first of these 
was of the house of David, but both the others, were 
of the tribe of Levi, None of them however, were 
kings in any sense, but simply governors under for- 
*3 



58 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

eign authority. During the two hundred and forty 
two years next succeeding, Judah was governed by 
her High Priests, all of whom were of the house of 
Aaron. Mean time the nation was tributary suc- 
cessively, to the Persians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, 
and the Syrians. From the close of this period until 
Judea became a Roman province under Herod, and 
Christ was born, the Jews were under the govern- 
ment of the Asmonean family, known as the 
Maccabees, all of whom belonged to the priestly 
tribe. History thus rebukes the interpretation in 
question. Does the covenant promise David, that his 
natural sons should reign upon his literal throne, 
until the coming of Messiah ? If so, then it was not 
fulfilled. But ''God's word cannot be broken." It 
was fulfilled. Therefore the promise is to be under- 
stood not in a ]itera1 sense, but as a metaphor. 

The other part of the interpretation — that Christ 
ever will occupy David's literal throne — will be 
found upon examination, to fail in a manner equally 
signal. Recur if you please, to the exposition of 
this covenant by Peter, in a passage, a part of 
which is already before you. He said to the Jews, 
in his sermon at Pentecost, "The patriarch David," 
was " a prophet," and he knew " that God had 
sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his 
loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ 
to sit on his throne."^ Did he mean however, his 
literal throne ? that at his second coming at least, 
Christ will reign in Jerusalem, or elsewhere, not 

* Acts ii : 29, 30. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 59 

only over gathered, and restored, Israel, and Judah, 
but over all the nations of the earth ? Then he 
directly contradicts the Saviour himself, since at 
that time, the kingdom of Christ, will certainly be 
" of this world." But repeatedly, as you well know, 
does the Saviour declare the contrary. He affirms^ 
and without conditions, or limitations, " My kingdom 
is not of this world."* It is not of this world in its 
origin ; it is not of this world in its nature ; it is not 
of this world in its ends. It indeed, extends to every 
creature, since **all authority is committed into his 
hands, both in heaven and on earth," but it is exclu- 
sively spiritual, and evangelical. He was '' David's 
son, and David's Lord ;" the spiritual David himself; 
the king who shall reign over spiritual Israel forever. 
It was therefore over no literal empire ; no nations 
of men ; that he was to reign. The covenant 
promised no such dominion. Twenty four hundred 
years has David's literal throne been buried. It 
will never be resuscitated. The promise is figura- 
tive, and pledges a spiritual dominion, and a spiritual 
people. With these facts before us, how glorious 
is the inspired language on this subject of the inim- 
itable Ethan ! " Thou," O Lord, " didst speak in 
vision, to thy Holy One, and say, I have laid help 
upon one that is mighty." " I have found David 
my servant ; with my holy oil have I annointed 
him; [made him Christ] with whom my hand shall 
be established ; my arm also shall strengthen him." 

"'John xviii : 37. 



60 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

" And I will beat down his foes before his face ; and 
afflict them that hate him ; but my faithfulness, and 
my mercy shall be with him." " I will set his hand 
also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He 
shall cry to me, Thou art my father, my God, and 
the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my 
first born, higher than the kings of the earth. My 
mercy will I keep for him forever more, and my 
covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also, 
will I make to endure forever, and his throne^^ [his 
spiritual government! " as the days of heaven. If his 
children forsake my law, and walk not in my judg- 
ments ; if they break my statutes, and keep not my 
commandments ; then [will I not cast them off, as I 
did the literal sons of David, whom I rejected for 
their sins, but] I will visit their transgressions with 
the rod, and their iniquities with stripes. Neverthe- 
less my loving kindness will I not utterly take from 
him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant 
will I not break, nor alter the thing that hath gone 
out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, 
that I will not lie to David [the exalted Messiah.] 
His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the 
sun before me. It shall be established forever, as 
the moon ; and as a faithful witness in heaven."*" 
Daniel uses language in the same sense, when he 
says, '* There was given unto" ''the Son of Man; 
Messiah;" ''dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, 
that all people, and nations, and languages should 

^Ps. Ixxxix: 19-37. 



WITH ABRAHAM. 



6l 



serve him. His dominion is an everlasting domin- 
ion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom 
that which shall not be destroyed."* 

We have now seen what is usually called '' the 
Abrahamic covenant," or more properly, '' the cove- 
nant confirmed to Abraham, of God in Christ," and 
we have considered the repetition, and transmission 
of that covenant, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to 
Judah, and to David. Its promises are, as is appa- 
rent, identical in their spiritual import, with those 
developed in the covenants by which it was pre- 
ceded. Indeed it refers to those covenants in 
direct terms. Was it, as Paul declares, a '' covenant 
confirmed to Abraham, of God in Christ ?" That 
which was simply confirmed, must have had a pre- 
vious existence. And where shall we look for this 
covenant, at any previous time, but to Eden, in 
which two thousand years before, it was made 
known to our first parents ? And in all its devel- 
opements, whether in Eden, to Abraham, to Isaac, 
to Jacob, to Judah, or to David, it rested firmly, 
upon the gracious engagement of Christ for us, in 
the glorious covenant of redemption, '* before the 
foundation of the world." 

The uncertainty which had until now, marked the 
nation of which Messiah should come, and the scene 
of his achievements, was here dissipated. The 
family of Abraham is designated, and of that family 
the tribe of Judah, and of the tribe of Judah the 
house of David. Each successive developement nar- 

* DanL vii : 14. 



62 COVENANT OF PROMISE 

rows down the circle, and makes the investigation 
of Christ's claims to the divine mission, when he 
shall come, more simple and certain. Yet many 
centuries are to pass before his advent. Other 
measures must therefore be adopted, such as that 
on his appearing, it shall be known beyond the 
possibility of a doubt, that he is the very Christ 
promised to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Judah, 
and to David. Of these measures, what are to be 
the nature and character ? 



COVENANTS OP THE LAW. 63 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

Design of these covenants ; covenant of the land of Canaan ; of 
circumcision ; of Sinai ; history of the Hebrews ; prophecy. 

The covenant considered in the last chapter, de- 
termined, as we saw, that the Saviour provided in 
the covenant of redemption, and announced to our 
first parents in Eden, should be of " the seed of 
Abraham ;" and that the scene of his actions upon 
earth, should be in the land of Canaan. But when 
is he to appear among men ? Many a century is 
yet to pass ere his actual advent. By what means, 
it has been asked, shall it, when he does come, be 
known with positive certainty, that he is the very 
Christ promised ? Indubitable testimony for the 
establishment of his claims must surround him. 
Otherwise how can men believe in the Son of God ? 
Faith is a primary condition of salvation. This is 
true of all classes ; of the Jews no less emphati- 
cally than of the Gentiles. Nor in all that pertains 
to sanctification and eternal life, is he less the Christ 
of the one, than of the other. Upon the Hebrews 
Jehovah conferred peculiar honor. To their cus- 
tody was committed " the oracles of God ;" theirs 
'' were the Fathers ; and of them, as concerning the 



64 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

flesh, Christ came."* In all other respects however, 
they possessed no special advantages. In Messiah 
" all the families of the earth" were to be blessed. 
Therefore *^ all the families of the earth" were 
equally, and alike interested in whatever measures 
might be found necessary to elicit, and confirm their 
faith in Christ. To gain this end, the plan adopted 
by Jehovah was perfect, and is presented to us 
mainly in the tlu^ee collateral covenants now to be 
considered, and which we have called " The cove- 
nants of the law^'^ together V\^ith the history of Israel, 
and the predictions of the prophets. Of them truly 
may we say, as John did of his Gospel, " These 
[things] are written, that ye might believe that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; and that be- 
lieving ye might have life through his name."t Let 
us refer to tjbem separately and consecutively. 

The first of these collateral covenants, in time, 
if not in importance, gave to Abraham a specified 
country, and made his family a distinct and sepa- 
rate nation. 

" The word of the Lord came unto Abram," while 
he dwelt in Mamre, " saying : Fear not Abram, I 
am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." 
And God /' brought Abraham forth abroad, and 
said : Look nov/ towards heaven, and tell the stars, 
if thou be able to number them. And he said unto 
him : So shall thy seed be. And he believed the Lord, 
and it was counted to him for righteousness. And 
he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee 

* Rom. iii : 1 ; ix : 6, \ John xx : 31. 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 65 

out of Ur, of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to 
inherit. And Abram said, Lord God, whereby shall 
I know that I shall inherit it? And God said unto 
him : Take me a heifer of three years old, and a 
she goat of three years old, and a ram of three 
years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. 
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in 
the midst, and laid each piece one against another ; 
but the birds he divided not. And when the fowls 
came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them 
away. And when the sun was going down, a deep 
sleep fell upon Abram ; and lo, a horror of great 
darkness fell upon him ! And God said unto Abram, 
know surely that thy seed shall be a stranger in a 
land that is not theirs, and shall serve them," of that 
land, " and they shall afflict them, four hundred 
years ! And also that nation whom they shall serve, 
will I judge. And afterwards shall they come out 
with great substance." And *^they shall come 
hither again." " And it came to pass when the sun 
went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking fur- 
nace, and a burning lamp, that passed between the 
pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant 
with Abram, saying : Unto thy seed will I give this 
land, from the river of Egypt, unto the great river, 
the river Euphrates."^ 

Promises of the land of Canaan, had frequently 
before been made. They were indeed (so impor- 
tant w^as the separate national existence of Israel 
to the end proposed, regarded,) included in the pre- 

♦ Gfeu. xv: 1-18. 



66 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

vious " covenant of God in Christ," and also, as we 
shall see, in the subsequent covenant of circum- 
cision. But here we have the distinct and formal 
covenant itself, pledging the land to Abram, and his 
posterity forever. The reasons of this importance 
you must yourself perceive, upon a moment's re- 
flection. A Saviour is promised. He is to spring 
from this family. ''In the fullness of the time" he 
will come. But nearly two thousand years are yet 
to ^transpire before he appears. Meanwhile what 
changes may not occur among men, and even 
among nations ! What family mingling as is com- 
mon with other families, could hope so long to sur- 
vive, and preserve its distinct character ? Are there 
any families now upon earth, who have so main- 
tained themselves, and can confidently trace back 
their lineage for twenty centuries ? Such a result 
may, without divine interposition, be in the ordina- 
ry course of things, safely pronounced impossible. 
Yet this much, at least, the family of Abraham must 
be able to do, since upon it is, to a great extent sus- 
pended, the faith of all nations. Without it, how can 
the true Messiah he certainly recognized ? How 
can false Christs be detected and exposed ? Of his 
claims, when he comes, it will not be conclusive that 
he shall manifest extraordinary wisdom. This did 
Solomon. It will not be enough that he shall perform 
miracles, since Moses and the prophets did the same. 
Will he heal the sick, and even raise the dead ? 
Elisha did both. It must be known beyond doubt, 
that he is precisely of the descent promised ; other- 
wise the proofs are forever vitally defective. He 



COVENANTS OF THK LAW. 67 

must be the son of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, 
and of the house of David. No obscurity must rest 
upon these facts. On these accounts (and they are 
infinitely wise, and benevolent) this covenant was 
inaugurated. The family of Abraham was sepa- 
rated from all others, and made a distinct nation. 
A specified territory was prescribed, where they 
were to remain under the divine government, and 
protection. In that land they were to reside, a pe- 
culiar, and an isolated people, until Christ should 
come, and establish his claims, and, by one offering 
perfect forever all them that are sanctified.'"^ 

The second of these collateral covenants was 
also made with Abraham, and is known as *^ the 
covenant of circumcision." 

It looked, unquestionably, to the same end with 
the covenant which promised to him the land of 
Canaan. They were auxiliaries of each other. Their 
design was to certify the fulfilment of "the promise 
of God in Christ to Abraham." That covenant 
separated Israel as a nation, from every other peo- 
ple. This distinguished them as individuals^ from 
all other men. Thus they were more perfectly iso- 
lated, and the certainty of the proofs, by which 
Messiah's claims were to be established, augmented 
and simplified. The covenant of circumcision was 
made with Abraham when he was ninety-nine years 
old ; eighteen years after the covenant of the land, 
and twenty-four years after '' the covenant of pro- 
mise in Christ." Its synopsis is as follows : — " I will 

*Heb, x: U. 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 






establish my covenant between me and thee, and 
thy seed after thee, for an everlasting covenant, to 
be a God unto thee, and thy seed after thee. And 
I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the 
land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of 
Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be 
their God. And God saith unto Abraham : Thou 
shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy seed 
after thee, in their generations. This is my cove- 
nant which ye shall keep between me and you, and 
thy seed after thee ; every man child among you 
shall be circumcised." " And my covenant shall be 
in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant." *' And 
the uncircumcised man child shall be cut off from 
his people."^ 

This covenant, which as we said, also includes 
the grant of the land of Canaan, enjoins the wor- 
ship and service of God only ;f it commands cir- 
cumcision ; and it excludes from that family every 
one who shall be found uncircumcised. Its general 
bearing in relation to all the Hebrew institutions, 
is explained by Paul, who says : — " I testify again, 
to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor 
to do the whole law.^^X This rite was at once received 
by Abraham ; was administered in his family ; and 
was ever afterwards observed by his descendants, 
until the object which it proposed, had been effectu- 
ally secured. Christ came ; its design was accom- 

* Gen. xvii : 4-14. 

t In reference, doulbtless, to now prevalent idolatry. 

t Gal. V : 3. 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 69 

plished ; the covenant, as all the others of like tem- 
porary character, ceased to exist. The gospel now 
reigns, under which '' He is not a Jew who is one 
outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is 
outward in the flesh ; but he is a Jew who is one 
inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in 
the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not 
of men, but of God.'"^ " If ye be circumcised," said 
Paul to the primitive Christians, " Christ shall pro- 
fit you nothing." For " whosoever of you shall" seek 
'* to be justified by the law" of Moses, to which cir- 
cumcision pledges your obedience, to you " Christ 
has become of no effect." We understand better 
the plan of salvation. " Through the Spirit," we 
'' wait for the hope of righteousness by faith," in 
Christ, for the confirmation of which faith, circum- 
cision was instituted. " Jesus Christ" having now 
come, '' and redeemed us by his blood," *' neither cir- 
cumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, 
but faith which worketh by love."| It is ours to 
consider the facts in proof of the Messiahship, laid 
before us, in the practical operation of this covenant, 
and to '' believe in our Lord Jesus Christ." 

The third and last of these collateral covenants, 
is known as the covenant of Sinai. 

This covenant gave to the people of Israel their 
peculiar national government. It was made not with 
Abraham, but appropriately ^' with the fathers, when 
God took them by the hand to lead them out of the 

*Rom. ii:28, 29. t Gal. v : 1-6. 



70 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

land of Egypt." During several generations, th^' 
family of Abraham was far from being prolific. 
Bat irrespective of this fact, many years must ne-J, 
cessarily pass before they could be sufficiently nu-" 
merous, or otherwise in a condition, to take posses- 
sion of the promised land. In the providence oftj 
God, they were removed into Egypt. For a season 
they were honored for the sake of Joseph. Ere long, 
however, jealousies arose ; they were oppressed, and 
soon after enslaved ; and all those events were 
literally realized, which were revealed to Abraham, 
in the covenant of the land of Canaan. His seed 
were strangers in a land that was not theirs ; they 
served the people of that land; and they affiictedlj 
them four hundred years. Why did God — the in- 
quiry naturally arises — permit his people to be so 
long, thus- overwhelmed with misery, and suflfering? 
Two infinitely wise, and benevolent reasons at once 
present themselves to the mind. Their social posi- 
tion as slaves in Egypt,was immeasurably important, 
since they were thus preserved ; and thus only could 
they have been preserved eff'ectually ; from so inter- 
mingling with the people of the land, or becoming 
so attached to the soil, or so scattering apart from 
each other, as to frustrate the purposes of God in 
making them a nation. When, therefore, the com- 
mand came for their removal, they were ready to 
depart. This was the first reason. The second had 
respect to their multiplication. To a rapid increase! 
of numbers, servile relations, and habits, all obser- 
vation and experience prove, are, of all others, the 



II 



ii 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 71 

most favorable. Their oppression was, therefore, 
essential to their prosperity, their deliverance, and 
the fulfilment of" the covenant of promise in Christ." 
The time came when they were to go forth from 
** the house of bondage," and " become a great na- 
tion." Their numbers had increased until now be- 
sides their old men, and women, and children, they 
counted six hundred thousand warriors ! They were 
therefore, ready, and with the blessing of God fully 
able, whatever obstacles might oppose them, to take 
possession of the promised land. At the divine com- 
mand, under the guidance of Moses, and amidst mi- 
racles, wonders, and manifest exhibitions of the 
power, and direction of God, they quitted Egypt, 
and took their way towards Canaan. As they passed 
through the wilderness of Arabia, they received 
this covenant, which organized them as a nation, 
" at the holy Mount." In synopsis it was written 
upon *' two tables of stone," which Paul calls, ** The 
tables of the covenant;"* but in its enlarged form, 
and with its various rites, and ordinances, it extends 
through Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. God 
said, speaking from Sinai, to all the people, " If ye 
will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, 
then shall ye be a peculiar people unto me, above 
all people." And the people answered: *' All that 
the Lord hath spoken, we will do y] This covenant 
is more especially called " The law ;" not so much 
because of any peculiar moral principles it promul- 
gates, since these, as we have seen, are the same 

* Heb.^ix : 4. t Ex. xix : b-S. 



72 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

with those of every other covenant, and must ne- 
cessarily pervade all God's dispensations, being the 
inevitable emanations of his own holy nature, as 
because it constituted the national government, which 
was at the same time the religion of the Hebrew 
people. 

You cannot but observe in this covenant, the same 
obvious purpose which characterized both the oth- 
ers, to keep Israel separate from all other nations, 
until the coming of Christ. This object was guarded 
by numerous and most stringent enactments. For 
example : " Thou shalt not," was the language of 
one of the laws, " make marriages with them. Thy 
daughter shalt thou not give unto his son, nor his 
daughter shalt thou take unto thy son."* All 
their social, as well as their domestic intercourse, 
was so regulated that an Israelite might not, in any 
sense, be connected as an equal, with a Gentile, of 
whatever class. On this subject Peter said, addres- 
sing his Christian brethren, " Ye know that it is an 
unlawful thing, for a man that is a Jew to keep 
company with, or come unto one of another na- 
tion. "f In what appeared to them to be a violation 
of this covenant — for as yet the Christians seemed 
not to understand that in the coming of Christ its 
purposes were consummated, and that it had passed 
away — this apostle preached the gospel in the house 
of Cornelius, the Roman Centurion. The disciples 
instantly, upon learning this fact, upbraided and 
contended with him, saying : " Thou wentest in to 
men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them."f The 
» Deut. vii : 3. f 'Acts x : 28. X Acts xi ; 2, 3. 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 73 

fundamental laws of Israel made all uncircumcised 
people ** unclean" to them. They were not per- 
mitted to be socially in the same house with Gen- 
tiles, to be companions of such, nor even to eat at 
the same table with them. All such intercourse 
was a religious pollution, and a moral degradation. 
Thus did the covenant of Sinai concur with the 
other two, in keeping Israel apart from all other 
nations, until *'the covenant of promise in Christ," 
to Abraham should be fulfilled. 

We have now examined *' the covenants of the 
law," and seen their nature, and especially the 
grand purpose of them all. I have said that this 
purpose was still further aided, by the inspired his- 
tory contained in the word of God. 

This history is for the most part, recorded in the 
books of Moses, and Joshua, the Judges, and Ruth, 
Samuel, and the Kings, the Chronicles, and Ezra, 
Nehemiah, and the Prophets. Often in its perusal, 
have you perhaps, earnestly desired more of detail. 
But detail would have rendered the Bible inconve- 
niently voluminous, and was besides unnecessary 
to the purpose contemplated, which demanded so 
much only, as that when Messiah should come, the 
means of establishing his claims should be perfect. 
That part of inspired history, however, which is 
most important to this end, is contained in the gene- 
alogies with which the whole Bible so much abounds. 
These genealogies had previously been scrupulously 
observed, but they were subsequently enjoined, and 
regulated by the law of Moses, which is identical 
with the covenant of Sinai. A learned' Jewish 
4 



74 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

Rabbi, of the last age, who afterwards became a 
christian, and a minister, writing of the testimony 
for the Messiahship of Christ,* drawn from the ge- 
nealogies, remarks : — " I cannot proceed without 
observing, and admiring the wonderful provision 
which was made for this purpose, in the law of 
Moses. Our nation [Israel] was not only divided 
into several tribes, but each tribe into several fami- 
lies. And as every tribe had a distinct inheritance, 
which obliged them to keep genealogies of their 
several families, so to make them more exact, 
and punctual in this record, no alteration of inheri- 
tance was allowed, for longer than the year of Ju- 
bilee, which returned every fifty years. And then 
every one that could clear his pedigree, and make 
out his right to the inheritance of his ancestors, was 
to be reinstated in the possession of it. This made 
it every one's interest to preserve his genealogy. 
But what still further contributed to this end, and 
made them the more careful in the matter, was the 
law of lineal retreats. By this law, upon failure of 
an heir in any family, the next of kin was to be 
heir at law. Thus was every tribe incited not only 
to take care of its own genealogy, but of that also 
of the several families of its kindred, that by know- 
ing the several degrees of proximity of their blood, 
they might be able at any time, upon failure of an 
heir, to make out their title to the inheritance of 
their fathers. This was the method to be taken 
throughout their generations, so that when the full- 
ness of the time should come for Messiah to appear, 
he might by this means easily, and certainly, prove 



COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 75 

his lineal descent, I'rom the seed of Abraham, from 
the tribe of Judah, and from the family of David."* 
How often do thoughtless readers of the Bible, look 
upon these catalogues as useless impediments, if 
not positive defects. At most, they inspire them 
with no special interest. In the light of these facts, 
however, you perceive that they are really chains 
of pearls, and to every christian of priceless worth. 
They are, therefore, recorded at great length, in 
both the Old and the New Testament, and their 
freedom from error is vouched by their inspiration. 
As evincive of the Messiahship of Jesus, they are 
introduced into two of the gospels. Their testi- 
mony is direct and most conclusive. And it is also 
worthy of remark, that Matthew who writes for the 
Jews, extends his catalogue back only, as far as 
Abraham, the father of Israel, to whom the second 
promise of MeSvSiah was made ; but that Luke, who 
writes for the Gentiles, carries his to Adam, the 
primeval father of mankind, to whom was given the 
original pledge of a Deliverer from sin. Such was 
the design of the history, and the genealogies, con- 
tained in the divine oracles. They were auxiliaries 
to '' the covenants of the law," to identify and desig- 
nate the Saviour of men. 

One other form of testimony previously provided, 
demands in this connection, a moment of our atten- 
tion. The Redeemer himself refers to it when he 
says, " All things must be fulfilled, which were writ- 
ten in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and 

* Frey's Joseph and Benjamin, pp. 239, 240. 



76 COVENANTS OF THE LAW. 

in the Psalms, concerning me."* These together, 
embrace the whole of the Old Testament, and it is 
in every part full of Christ. I may not here, descend 
to particulars. Well do you know how minutely 
the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, 
describe the person, and work of our Lord Jesus 
Christ ; his miracles, his teaching-, his persecutions, 
his betrayal, his sufferings, his death, his burial, his 
resurrection, his ascension, and his glorious inter- 
cession at the right hand of the Father on high ; 
not "' one jot, nor one tittle" of which has failed ; 
all has been fulfilled. They have received their 
accomplishment in Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Is it a question of infinite importance to the faith 
of all nations, by what means Messiah when he 
comes, shall be known with positive certainty, to 
be the very Christ promised in the covenant with 
Abraham, with Isaac, with Jacob, with Judah, and 
with David? We have now seen how those means 
were provided, by divine wisdom, and goodness. The 
result proposed was perfectly secured by the opera- 
tion of '*the covenants of the law ;" which are the 
covenant that gave to Israel a prescribed territory, 
and made them a separate nation ; the covenant of . 
circumcision, by which they were distinguished per- 
sonally, from all other men ; and the covenant of | 
Sinai, which gave them a national government ; V 
and by the auxiliaries of these covenants, which f 
are the history, and genealogy of the people of 
God ; and the delineations of Christ, in the Law of 

* Luke xxiv : 44r. 



COVENANTS or THr LAW. 77 

Moses, ill the Prophets, and in the Psalms. The 
forms, ordinances, and rites enjoined in these cove- 
nants, were obligatory upon the Hebrews only. 
Moral principles, I have said, wxre the same in every 
dispensation of God. In all these covenants they 
were identical with each other, and with those of 
the law under which man was originally created, 
and to bring us back to which, is the great design 
of the gospel of Christ. Truth, justice, and purity, are 
of eternal obligation, and have ever been, and must 
ever be, binding alike upon all men. Not so the 
cerevionies of the covenants, which gave outward 
character to the religion of the Mosaic economy, ex- 
cept in so far as sacrifices, and the Sabbath were in- 
volved, which were enjoined in Eden, and belonged 
to mankind. The forms, ordinances, and rites peculiar 
to Israel, belonged alone to Israel, and their observ- 
ance by Gentiles was not obedience to God, because 
they were not commanded by God. Gentiles were, 
we have seen, as much interested in the certification 
of Messiah as was Israel ; but he was to spring not 
from them, but from Israel ; therefore, until his 
appearing, Israel must be distinguished from all 
other men. " The fullness of the time" at length 
came, and Messiah appeared. By all these, and 
many other " infallible proofs," Jesus of Nazareth 
demonstrated his claims to be received as "The 
seed of the woman ;" " the Son of Abraham ;" the 
promised " Shiloh ;" '' the offspring of David ;" " the 
King of Israel," ** Immanuel, God with us." He is 
the Messiah. 



78 VHlhOl.OGY OF THE COVENANTS. 



CHAPTER VII. 

PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 

Meaning of their terms ; authorities ; illustrations, expositions 

as to the seed of Abraham ; the conversion of the nations 

to Christ ; perpetual possession of Canaan ; perpetuity of David^s 
throne. 

" Whatsoever things v^ere w^ritten aforetime, 
were written for our learning, that we through 
patience, and comfort of the scriptures, might have 
hope."* But how can we have such patience, com- 
fort and hope, unless we correctly understand and 
properly appreciate the scriptures ? This remark is 
especially applicable in relation to the covenants 
now under consideration. Let us therefore look 
somewhat more carefully into the import of the lan- 
guage in which they are expressed. To these cove- > 
nants all competent Biblical interpreters, of every # 
class, agree in attributing a peculiar philology. Their i 
promises were, in one sense, undoubtedly intended to 
be literally understood, and fulfilled. But their true 
legitimate import does not terminate here. No one 
who studies them, can fail to perceive that they 
convey a second and higher meaning, full of the 

* * Rom. XV : 4. 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS, 79 

deepest interest and importance. Examine the 
covenants themselves, and you will be struck with a 
phraseology inconsistent with the expectation of 
only a simple literal fulfilment. Study their various 
expositions by the prophets, and apostles, and you 
will at once learn that they received and interpreted 
them, as containing also a second and higher sense ; 
a sense which indeed, pervades the substance of the 
whole kingdom of grace in Jesus Christ. This higher 
meaning of the covenants, it is our present purpose to 
establish, and ascertain, that by their teachings our 
faith may be invigorated and our hopes confirmed. 
Let us in the prosecution of this design, re- 
fer, in the first place, to the teachings on this 
subject, of some of our most learned and mature 
divines. I might adduce readily, in support of the 
doctrine now announced, the testimony of many of 
the brightest names in the constellation of theolo- 
gical science. I shall however, satisfy myself with 
the evidence of two only, since " In the mouth of 
two witnesses every word shall be established." 
*' That the covenant with Abraham," says Dr. 
Carson, " has a letter and a spirit, is not a theory 
formed to serve a purpose. It is consonant to every 
part of the Old Dispensation, and is the only sense 
that can harmonize it with the New Testament. 
The temple was the house of God, in the letter ; 
believers are so in the spirit. To call any house 
the house of God, is as much below the sense which 
the same phrase has when it is applied to the 
church of Christ, as to call the nation of Israel the 
people of God, is below the sense which that phrase 



80 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS.^ 

has when applied to the spiritual Israel. Besides, 
there are many things spoken about the house of I 
God in the letter, in terms that can only fully suit 
the spirit. " I have surely," said Solomon, " built 
thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee 
to abide forever."* The incongruity of supposing 
him, whom ^ the heaven of heavens cannot contain,^ 
to dwell in a house forever^ as a settled habitation, 
is removed only by referring it to the spirit." 
" Christ's body is the only temple of which this is 
fully true. God did not dwell in the temple built by 
Solomon forever." That temple ceased to exist 
twenty five centuries ago. /'But in the spirit it is 
accomplished, in its utmost extent."! ^^ another 
place, the same distinguished writer observes: — 
** For the accomplishment of the grand purpose that 
all nations should be blessed in Abraham, he had 
three promises. First, a numerous posterity ; which 
w^as fulfilled in the letter, to the nation of Israel. It 
was fulfilled in the spirit, by the divine constitution 
that makes all believers the children of Abraham." 
** The second was, that he would be a God to him, 
and his seed; which wa!% fulfilled in the letter, by 
his protection of Israel in Egypt, his delivering them 
from bondage," and his subsequent dealings with 
that nation. " This promise is fulfilled in the spirit, 
by God's being a God to all believers, and to them 
alone, in a higher sense than he ever was to Israel" 
as a nation. J ''The third promise was of the land 

* 1 Kings viii : 11. f On Baptism, N. Y ed. 1832. p. 550. 

X Rom. iv : 11, 12, 



i 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 81 

of Canaan ; fulfilled in the letter to Israel ; and in 
the spirit fulfilled to the true Israel, In the heavenly 
inheritance," the possession of the Canaan above. 
" In accordance w^ith this double sense of the cove- 
nant," "the typical ordinances, which exhibit the 
truths of the gospel in a figure, form one of the most 
conclusive evidences of Christianity, and present spir- 
itual things to the mind, in so definite and striking a 
manner, that they add the greatest lustre to the 
doctrines of grace."* 

Dr. Macknight on this subject, is equally full and 
explicit. He says : — To understand the covenants in 
the whole of their meaning, it should be recollected 
that *' in the early ages, the most approved method 
of communicating, and preserving knowledge, was 
by making sensible objects which were present, 
or not very distant in point of time, representations 
of things which are not the objects of sense, or which 
are future, but have some affinity to the things made 
use of to represent them. In this method of instruc- 
tion, the character and actions of remarkable per- 
sons, and the ordinary events of life, were on some 
occasions, considered prefigurations of more distant 
persons and events, to which they had a resem- 
blance. Of these facts we have in scripture numer- 
ous examples. Abraham, in respect of the faith, 
and obedience which he exercised, was a type of 
believers, of all nations." On this account he was 
declared *'the father of all them that believe." 
*^ David, in his office, and kingdom, prefigured Christ, 

* Bapt. ut eupra. p. 344, 



82 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 

for which reason, by the latter prophets, Christ is 
called David." And further. " In scripture some 
future events are foretold in such a manner as to 
show, that they are themselves prefigurations, or 
predictions of other future events, still more remote. 
In such cases, when the first events came to pass, in 
the manner foretold, they were both a proof, and a 
pledge, that the more remote events, would take 
place in their season." According to these and 
kindred principles, are the covenants, and especially 
the covenants of the law, to be interpreted. '' From 
what our Lord and his apostles have said of them, 
it appears that these covenants, besides their first 
meaning, which terminated in the literal persons 
and events spoken of, had a second and higher mean- 
ing, which was to be accomplished in persons and 
events more remote. Abraham's natural descen- 
dants, were considered in the covenants, as types of 
his seed by faith." All his natural seed were neces- 
sarily circumcised ; and so to make them such, all 
his spiritual seed must necessarily be regenerated 
by the Spirit of God. Isaac's supernatural birth, by 
the pow^erof God, represented Christ's supernatural 
birth by the power of God. The land of Canaan 
promised to the natural seed as their inheritance, 
was an emblem of the heavenly Canaan, the inher- 
itance of the seed by faith. In short, the temporal 
blessings promised in the covenants to the natural 
seed, had all an allegorical, or second meaning, being 
images of those better things which God intended to 
bestow upon Abraham's seed by faith."*" Such then, 
* Prelim to Gall. Essay V, abridged. 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 83 

is the true, and admitted philology of the covenants. 
Their language has " a letter and a spirit." They 
were fulfilled literally; but only perfectly ful- 
filled in their higher and spiritual meaning. 

And novi^, in the second place, we apply ourselves 
to ascertain this meaning, in several particulars ; 
and since throughout we have the guidance of 
the prophets and apostles, v/e may confidently 
rely upon being directed to the true scriptural 
conclusions. 

One of the promises to Abraham in these cove- 
nants, was that his seed should be a countless multi- 
tude, '' I will make thy seed as the dust of the 
earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the 
earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered ;" " Look 
now towards heaven and tell the stars, if thou be 
able to number them ; and he said unto him, So 
shalt thy seed be ;" " In multiplying I will multiply 
thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand 
which is upon the sea shore."* Was this promise, 
I ask, fully accomplished in the numbers of Abra- 
ham's literal descendants ? Their numbers were in- 
deed, very great ; but were they as multitudinous as 
from the language of the covenants you might be led 
to suppose they would be ? You cannot but doubt. 
Your embarrassment however, is instantly relieved 
when you recollect that God counts for his seed, those 
who partake of the qualities of Abraham^s mind, as 
well as those who are related to him hy fleshly 
descent, and that these promises were to be fulfilled 

* Gen. xiii : 16, 15 : 5, 22 : 17. 



84 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 



1 



not alone in their literal, but more especially in 
their second and higher import, which embraces 
both classes. ** They are not," said Paul, in con- 
firmation of this doctrine, " all Israel who are of 
Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abra- 
ham are they all children." " The children of the 
flesh, these are not the children of God." " The 
children of the promise are counted for the seed."* 
''And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's 
seed, and hejrs according to the promise" in the 
covenants.f Our Lord expresses the sense of this 
spiritual relationship, when he says to the Jews, 
'' If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the 
works of Abraham. "J That the promises in the 
covenalits looked to evangelical blessings, and em- 
braced in their higher import, Gentiles as well as 
Jews, Paul avers in another place, when he says : — 
*• It is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the 
end that the promise might be sure to all the seed ; 
not that only which is of the law, [Jewish] but that 
also [the Gentile ] which is of the faith of Abra- 
ham."|l The covenants contemplated therefore, not 
his natural seed only, but also all of every age and 
country, who were, or ever would be, believers in 
our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This understanding, of the promises before us, 
evidently, as is shown by their teaching, was re- 
ceived and acted upon by the prophets, no less 
firmly than by the apostles. They predicted the 

" Rom. ix : 8. f Gal. Hi : 29. 

i John viii : 39. || Rom. iv : 6. 



PHILOJ.OGY OF THE COVENANTS. 85 

great multiplication of Abraham's spiritual seed, 
under the figure of a great increase in his natural 
progeny. " Sing, O heavens," said Isaiah, " and be 
joyful, O earth ; and break forth into singing, O ye 
mountains ; for the Lord hath comforted his people 
and will have mercy upon his afflicted." " Lift up 
thine eyes round about, and behold ! All these 
gather themselves together, and come to thee !" 
'* Thy waste and desolate places, and the land pf 
thy destruction, shall even now, be too narrow, by 
reason of the inhabitants." " The children thou 
shalt have after thou hast lost the other, shall say 
again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me. 
Give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt 
thou say in thine heart," ^' These, where had they 
been ? Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I will lift 
up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my 
standard to the people ; and they shall bring thy 
sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be car- 
ried upon their shoulders ; and kings shall be thy 
nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing moth- 
ers ; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord."* 
Again. " Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let 
them stretch forth the curtains of their habitations ; 
spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy 
stakes ; for thou shalt break forth on the right 
hand, and ctn the left ; and thy seed shall inherit 
the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be 
inhabited. "t And again. '*The dimness shall not 

* Isa xlix : 13-23. t Isa 6i : 1,-3 



86 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 

be such as was in her vexation, when at the first, 
he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the 
land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more griev- 
ously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond 
Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people that 
walked in darkness, have seen a great light. They 
that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon 
them hath the light shined." " For unto us a child 
is horn, unto us a son is given ; and the government 
shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall be 
called Wonderful ; Counsellor ; the Mighty God ; 
the Everlasting Father ; the Prince of Peace."* 
In these and like terms do the prophets represent 
the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ, their adop- 
tion to augment the number of the seed of Abraham, 
and thus to accomplish the fulfilment of the promise 
in the covenants. No longer now, do you hesitate. 
You feel assured that the divine word is fully 
justified. And that the saved in Christ of all ages, 
the seed of Abraham in the higher sense, is really 
innumerable, John the apostle, bears most pleasing 
testimony. In anticipation, he beheld the redeemed, 
when their numbers were complete, and exclaimed, 
** Lo, a great multitude which tio man could number, 
of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and 
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the 
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their 
hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salva- 
tion to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and 

* Isa ix : 1-6. 



PHILOLOGY OF THE C0VENATN8. 87 

unto the Lamb," forever and ever."* Thus we see 
perfectly fulfilled, one of the promises of the cove- 
nants with Abraham. 

Another of these promises guarantees to Abra- 
ham and Israel the perpetual possession of the land 
of Canaan : — " Unto thy seed will I give this land ;" 
** I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the 
Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it ;" "I 
will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the 
land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of 
Canaan, for an everlasting possession. "f 

But how could Abraham and his seed possess 
forever, literally, the land of Canaan? In the sense 
intended, God assuredly gave them the land. Per- 
sonally however, Abraham did not himself possess 
it ; nor did his descendants, until after nearlj^ five 
hundred years. At last they received it, and God 
protected them in its enjoyment for many ages. 
But did these events complete the fulfilment of the 
promise before us ? Israel inherited Canaan for a 
season ; they were then driven thence ; many cen- 
turies have since passed, and they are to this day, 
wanderers among all nations. The promise is not 
literally fulfilled in all its extent, nor indeed can it, 
in the nature of things possibly be, in the present 
world ; since to possess an earthly inheritance for- 
. ever, men must live forever upon earth, and the 
things of this life must have no end. The promise 
evidently contemplated not alone a Canaan upon 
earth, but more especially a Canaan in heaven, an 

♦Rev. vii : 9-12. fGen. xii .• 7 ; 16 : 1-18 ; IT : 8. 



88 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 

immortal spiritual life. The former he gave to 
Abraham's natural seed ; the latter he bestows upon 
his seed by faith ; all those who believe in our Lord 
Jesus Christ. And so Abraham and all the early 
saints understood, and received these promises of 
the covenant. They took them not alone in their 
literal import, but also in their higher spiritual 
signification. Of this fact the apostles give direct 
testimony. " By faith," said Paul, "Abraham, when 
he was called to go out into a place which he 
should after receive as an inheritance obeyed, and 
went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith 
he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange 
country, dwelling in tabernacles, with Isaac, and 
Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For 
he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose 
builder and maker is God." " These all died in faith, 
not having received the promises, but having seen 
them afar off; and were persuaded of them, and 
embraced them ; and confessed that they were 
strangers, and pilgrims in the earth. For they that 
say such things declare plainly that they seek a 
country. And truly, if they had been mindful of 
that country from whence they came out, they 
might have had opportunity to have returned. But 
now they desire a better^ that is a heavenly country.''''^ 
Their faith w^as directed therefore, not exclusively ' 
to the earthly country, but also, and more especiallj'^ 
to the *' heavenly country," of which the earthly was 
but an emblem, and which clearly, they understood 

* Heb. xi : 8^16. 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 89 

to be included in the promises of the covenants. 
The latter, and not the former, vi^as to be, to all 
who had the faith of Abraham, "-'an everlasting 
possessions^ 

But when, and how, were the promises^ according 
to this meanings to be fulfilled ? Not certainly, in 
this life, x\ov fully until after the resurrection of the 
body, since previous to that event their realization 
was evidently impossible. 

But were the promises in the covenants understood, 
in the sense now suggested, by Abraham, and Isaac, 
and Jacob, and David, and the other saints of literal 
Israel ? Was this one meaning at least, in which they 
embraced, and believed them ? With reference to 
these inquiries our Lord himself, reasoning with the 
Sadducees, who denied the existence of separate spi- 
rits, and also the resurrection of the body, amply in- 
structs us. He said, '* Now that the dead are raised, 
even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the 
Lord, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and 
the God of Jacob ; for he is not the God of the 
dead, but of the living."* The souls of these patri- 
archs were therefore, still living, though their bodies 
were dead ; and the promises in the covenants 
taught them that their bodies would be raised from 
the dead, since in their higher spiritual import, they 
secured to them the enjoyment of the land of Canaan 
forever. If they were not to be raised from the 
dead to this end, how could the promises ever be 
fulfilled ? And what was true of them, in these 

* Luke XX : '61. 



90 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 



m- f 



respects, was true of all others in similar circum 
stances. And further. That the Canaan in which 
they were to dwell after the resurrection, was to be 
not on earth, but in heaven, is plain from the pre- 
ceding part of this same conversation of our Re- 
deemer. He expressly calls the promised country, 
'' that world,'^^ in contrast with the literal conntry, 
which he calls " this world :'''' — " The children of this 
world [literal CanaanJ marry, and are given in 
marriage. But they who shall be accounted wor- 
thy to obtain that world [spiritual Canaan] and the 
resurrection from the dead [to prepare them for it] 
neither marry, nor are given in marriage. Neither 
can they die any more> for they are equal to the 
angels, and are the children of God, being the chil- 
dren of the resurrection.'"^ That the covenants 
therefore, in their higher meaning, taught the resur- 
rection of the dead, and the glorious realities of 
heaven, no one can question, since such was their 
construction by our Lord Jesus Christ himself. 
And still further. Because they did not understand 
the covenants in this sense, Messiah directly charges 
the Sadducees with culpable ignorance ; — '' Ye do 
err," said he, "not knowing the scriptures, nor 
the power of God."f Paul also gives us an exposi- 
tion of these covenants, and in exact consonance with 
that which we have just seen, from our Lord Jesus 
Christ. In his defence before King Agrippa, he 
hesitated not to say, and in the presence of the 
Jewish chiefs : — " 1 stand, and am judged, for the 

* Luke XX : 34-36. f Ut sup. 



I 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 91 

hope of the promise made unto our fathers, unto 
which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving 
God, day and night, hope to come." But to what 
promise made to the fathers, and which when Paul 
spoke, remained to the twelve tribes unfulfilled,^ did 
they hope to come ? Paul himself thus explains : — 
'" Why should it be thought a thing incredible with 
you [King Agrippa] that God should raise the 
dead /" And in another place, when before Felix, 
he said : — ''I confess unto thee, that after the way 
that they [the unbelieving JewsJ call heresy, so 
worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things 
that are written in the law, and in the prophets, 
and have hope towards God, which they themselves 
also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the 
dead, both of the just and unjust."f But where is 
the promise to the fathers, of the resurrection from 
the dead, written in the Law of Moses ? It is w^ritten 
no where, unless it be in these covenants, nor even 
here, except in the sense in which they have now 
been explained. God will raise up from the dead, 
all the spiritual seed of Abraham, and give them for 
an everlasting possession, that Canaan above, of 
which the Canaan on earth was the appointed 
emblem. 

The children spiritually, of Abraham, are found 
alike, among both Jews and Gentiles, and to them 
all, are made the promises of the covenants ; not to 
them and to their seed, as they were to Abraham; but 
to them as the seed of Abraham ; nor to them liter- 

* Acts XXV : 6-8. t Acts xxiv : 14, 15. 



D2 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 



1 



ally, as to his natural descendants ; but to them 
spiritually in their second, and higher meaning. The 
conversion of the Gentiles, gave to all the lovers of 
Christ, unbounded joy. The Jews have long re- 
sisted the grace of God, but the fulness of the time 
will ultimately come, and they too shall be con- 
verted. This great event is predicted by the proph- 
ets, under the figure of the restoration of Israel from 
a long captivity, to the scenes of their own native 
home. For example : — *' Awake, awake, put on thy 
strength, O [Messiah] Arm of the Lord." " Art thou 
not it [He I that hath dried the sea ; the waters of 
the great deep ; that hath made the depths of the 
sea a way for the ransomed to pass over ? There- 
fore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come 
with singing unto Zion ; and everlasting joy shall 
be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and 
joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away,"* 
And when thus converted, the delight that Israel 
will experience in Zion — not literal Zion, but 
the Church of the Redeemer— -are depicted under 
the emblems of rebuilding and adorning their cities, 
and enjoying the fruits of their own land. " They 
shall build," say the prophets, " their old wastes ; 
they shall raise up the former desolations; and they 
shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many 
generations. "t " In that day will 1 raise up the 
tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the 
breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins; 
and I will build it, as in the days of old." 
In other words, I will cause Israel to receive 
* Isa li : 9-16 ; 52 : 9-12. f Isa Ixi : 4-6. 



PFHLOLOGV OF THE COVENANTS. • 03 

Christ, whom they have so long rejected. "And 
they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine 
thereof; and they shall make gardens, and eat the 
fruit of them."* Their joy as christians^ shall be 
complete. 

The covenants in their full import, further teach 
the future glory o^ the sanctified in Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

These all, are spiritually, '* Abraham's seed, and" 
therefore, *' heirs according to the promise" in the 
covenants. Their im.mortality, and eternal life, are 
held forth, by both prophets and apostles, under the 
emblems oi renovated heavens, and earth, the habita- 
tion of restored and beautified Jerusalem^ and of the 
fertile and ornamented land of Canaan. *' Behold," 
said God, by the prophet, '' I create a new heavens, 
and a new earth, and the former shall not be re- 
membered, nor come into mind." " Be ye glad, and 
rejoice forever, in that which I create. For behold, 
I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my 
people. And the voice of weeping shall no more be 
heard in her, nor the voice of crying."t What shall 
we understand by all this? The new heavens, and 
earth, so excellent that the former are no more even 
remembered ; and the new Jerusalem, in which God 
himself will rejoice with his people, and in which 
never more shall be any pain or sorrow ? Isaiah 
speaks of them as if they were here upon earth. John 
the apostle, repeats the prophecy, and declares that it 

* Amos ix : 11-15. f Isa Ixv : 17-26. 



94 PHILOLOGY OF THE C0VENANT8. 

is a description of heaven ! ^*I saw," said he, anew 
heaven, and a new earth ; for the first heaven, and 
the first earth, were passed away." "And I John, 
saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down 
from God, out of heaven, prepared as a bride 
adorned for her husband. And 1, heard a voice out 
of heaven, saying. Behold the tabernacle of God is 
with men, and he will dwell with them : and they 
shall be his people ; and God himself shall be with 
them, and be their God; and God shall .wipe away 
all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more 
death, neither sorrow, nor crying ; neither shall 
there be any more pain ; for the former things have 
passed away." *Again. Isaiah describing restored 
and beautified Jerusalem, says : " The sun shall be 
no more thy light by day; neither for brightness 
shall the moon give light unto thee ; but the Lord 
shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God 
thy glory."t Describing heaven, John says: — *' The 
city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to 
shine in it ; for the glory of God did lighten it, and 
the Lamb was the light thereof."J And again. 
In reference to Jerusalem, Ezekiel said : — '' Behold, 
waters issued from the threshold of the house," 
[the temple] ; '' and it was a river ;" and " behold, 
at the bank of the river were very many trees, ont 
the one side, and on the other." *' And it shall 
come to pass that every thing," "whithersoever the 
river shall come, shall live." " And by the river, 
upon the bank thereof, on this side, and on that 

* Rev. jcxi : 1-5. f Isa Ix : 19. t Rev. xxi : 23. 



* 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 95 

side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall 
not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be con- 
sumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to 
his months ; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, 
and the leaf thereof for medicine."^ Of heaven 
John says : — " He showed me a pure river of the 
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the 
throne of God, and of the Lamb. In the midst of 
the street of it [the cityj and on either side of the 
river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve 
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month, 
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of 
the nation."t 

That the prophets, and the apostles, speak in 
these passages, of precisely the same things, no one 
can reasonably doubt. The apostles unquestionably 
describe ultimate heaven, and glory. Therefore the 
prophets, under the emblems of the promises in the 
covenants, referring to restored and beautified Je- 
rusalem, certainly describe ultimate heaven, and 
glory. This conclusion, so evident in itself, is con- 
firmed by Peter, who speaking of the second coming 
of Christ, the destruction of the material universe, 
the resurrection of the dead, and the final happi- 
ness of all the saints on high, thus admonishes his 
brethren: — *' The day of the Lord will come as a 
thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall 
pass away with a great noise, and the elements 
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the 
works that are therein, shall be burned up. Seeing 

* Ezek. xlvii : 1-12. abridged. f Rev. xxii : 1-3. 



96 PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 

then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what 
manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy con- 
versation, and godliness, looking for, and hastening 
unto the coming of the day of God ?" " Neverthe- 
less, we according to his promise, [in the prophets] 
!ook for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein 
dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing 
that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may 
be found of him in peace, without spot, and 
blameless."* 

The same philology, I will further at present, 
only remark, must also be applied in its interpre- 
tation to the covenant as repeated to David. To him 
God said, and the declaration was frequently re- 
peated :—'' Thy seed will I establish forever ; and 
build up thy throne to ail generations."! He did in- 
deed literally establish David's seed, but not forever ; 
and literally built up David's throne, but not to all 
generations. The terms of the covenant must be ac- 
complished. In their literal import they have un- 
questionably failed. It remains only therefore, for us 
to expect them in their second and higher meaning. 
And they are accordingly, gloriously fulfilled in the 
person, and reign of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ ; " whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
and whose dominion is forever and ever." " David's 
kingdom," says the distinguished Robert Hall, "was 
renewed and improved into higher glories, in the 
person of Jesus Christ, the true, spiritual, substantial 

* 2 Pet. iii : 10-U. f Fsa. Ixxxix : 19-36, 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 97 

David ; of whose kingdom (it cannot reasonably be 
doubted by any) that of David himself was a type. 
The empire of Christ was the sequel, and continu- 
ation of that which had originated in the son of 
Jesse ; and hence the Saviour is so often styled 
'The son of David.' The angel at his nativity 
announced him as ' He who should be great,' who 
should sit upon the throne of his father David, and 
of whose kingdom there should be no end.'** Already 
in a previous chapter, I have spoken of this cove- 
nant somewhat at length. I have referred to it here 
again, only to show that its promises are of such a 
nature that their perfect fulfilment is impracticable, 
except in their higher sense, and in which they bring 
prominently before us, the everlasting kingdom, and 
perpetual dominion of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Thus we have seen as briefly as possible, the 
philology of the coverfants, in the progress of our in- 
vestigation of which, we have shown that while 
they must be understood in their plain literal sense, 
they have palpably also, a second and higher mean- 
ing, which to comprehend them truly, you must 
study, and understand ; this meaning we have 
traced, explained, and illustrated, as contained in 
the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and in 
the covenants of the law, all of which guarantied 
to Abraham, an innumerable seed, and perpetual 
possession and enjoyment of the land of Canaan ; 
and we have seen how these promises were, and 
are yet to be fulfilled, in the conversion of all na- 

* Works, vol. ili. p. 445. 
5 



98 



PHILOLOGY OF THE COVENANTS. 



tions, in the happiness of men upon earth, in the re- 
surrection of the body, and in the everlasting glory 
in heaven of all the sanctified ; and we have also 
seen how the covenant as repeated to David, is con- 
summated in Jesus Christ our Lord, " In whom we 
have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of his grace." " Of him, and 
through him, are all things ; to whom be glory for- 
ever and ever. Amen." 



THE OLD COVENANT, ETC. 99 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE OLD COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT. 

The two classes of covenauts, resolved into two covenants ; their 
nature, and contrast ; old covenant fulfilled, and superseded by 
the new ; preparation of the Gentile world for Messiah's coming ; 
nature and excellence of the gospel. 

In addition to tiie covenant of works, which, as 
has been said, is peculiar in its character, and stands 
by itself, we have traced in the preceding chapters, 
two classes of covenants, of three each, and seen 
their nature, their purpose, their mutual relations, 
and their true interpretation. To all who study 
them attentively and intelligently, it must be appa- 
rent that they resolve themselves into substantially, 
ttoo covenants ; the one relating- to Christ directly, 
and the other relating to him indirectly, being em- 
bodied in the circumstances which preceded his com- 
ing, and prepared the minds of men to receive him. 
You turn to the teachings of the evangelists and 
apostles, and your convictions on this subject are 
established and confirmed. Everywhere they speak 
of the one class (that which embraces all the cove- 
nants of the law) as the old covenant; and of the 
other class (that which includes all the covenants 
of the gospel) as the new covenant ; and which to us 
are more familiarly known, as the Old Testament 



100 THE OLD COVENANT 

and the New Testament, The three covenants which 
composed the law^ and which are therefore, one in 
effect, fixed the circumstances of which I have spo- 
ken, which preceded and prepared for the coming 
of Messiah. They grew naturally out of the pro- 
mise to Abraham, that the Saviour should spring, 
according to the flesh, from his family. This pro- 
mise of God in Christ to him, bore, consequently, 
the same relation to the covenants of the law, or 
the old covenant, that a constitution does to legisla- 
tive enactments ; the latter being designed to carry 
out in the best possible manner, the provisions of 
the former. With these facts before us, the reasons 
are obvious, why the whole dispensation of Moses 
is so often, and so appropriately denominated " the 
law ;" not eminently the '* moi^al law,^^ but especially 
that law which was contained in " ordinances,^^ and 
which the Saviour removed, ''nailing it to his cross.^^"^ 
In like manner, the three covenants that comprise 
the gospel, and which, also, in substance, are one, 
form the new covenant in the blood of Christ ;" 
" the everlasting gospel ;" older than the law, but not 
visibly administered until after the law had been 
perfectly fulfilled, and had consequently passed 
away. As previously determined, '' All the proph- 
ets, and the law, prophecied until John ** the Bap- 
tist."! *' Since that time the kingdom of God [the 
gospel] is preached, and every man presseth into 
it."t 

If this statement of the subject needs further 

* Col ii : 14. f Matt, xi : 13. i Luke xvi : 16. 



ii 



AXD THE NEW COVEXAXT. 101 

confirmation, the evidence is abundant, and at hand. 
Of the law, and the gospel — the Old, and New cove- 
nants — Paul speaks in language which can hardly 
be misunderstood. He characterises them, not as 
one covenant, developing itself in different forms; 
nor as two of the covenants which marked the 
history of the divine government ; but as '* the two 
covenants^^ of God. Both were in their place su- 
premely excellent, and perfectly adapted to secure 
the ends for which they were respectively designed. 
Both were made necessary, by the original violation 
of the covenant of w^orks. Both were predicated 
upon the infinite grace of God. The one was the 
auxiliary of the other. But they were not both 
alike exalted. The gospel was unspeakably more 
glorious than the law, since this was the very soul 
of the plan of salvation, while that was a temporary 
institution only, " added because of transgression, 
till the seed [Christ] should come."* Such were 
their nature and reciprocal relations. They are by 
an apostle, held up before you in contrast, *' If," 
says Paul, '' the ministration of death, [the old cove- 
nant ; the law^] written and engraven on stones, 
was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not 
steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of 
his countenance, which gloiy w^as to be done away ; 
how shall not the ministration of the Spirit [the 
new covenant ; the gospel] be rather glorious ? For 
if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much 
more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed 

*Gal. iii: 19. 



102 THE OLD COVENANT 

in glory. For even that which was made glorious, 
had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory 
that excelleth. For if that which was done away 
was glorious, much more that which remaineth is 
glorious."* 

No part of the old covenant failed of its purposes. 
The law, and the prophets, were designed, as we 
have seen, to bear witness to Christ. When that 
office v^as performed, their mission was ended. 
Therefore, said our Redeemer, " Think not that I 
am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am 
not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say 
unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or 
one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law, till all 
be fulfilled."! They were fulfilled. Messiah fin- 
ished his work. The old covenant existed no more. 
The dispensation of Moses terminated. " Christ is 
the end of the law for righteousness to every one 
that believeth."J Faithfully were all these truths 
taught in the days of the apostles, and yet it was 
then, and it is still difficult, to withdraw the minds 
of even intelligent Christians, from the observances 
of the old covenant, and fix them unwaveringly 
upon a present Messiah. They " cannot steadfastly 
look to the end of that which is abolished." '* Their 
minds are blinded."|| The disposition is perpetually 
manifesting itself, "to engraft Judaism upon the 
gospel of Christ."! To all such Christians Paul ad- 

*2Cor. iii: 7^11. t Matt, v: 17, 18. 

tRom. X . 4. II Gal. iii: 13, 14. 

If Vide Evils of Infant Baptism, from which I have here abridged 
a paragraph. 



|and the new covenant. 103 

dresses himself thus : — " It is written that Abraham 
had two sons ; the one by a bond maid, the other 
by a free woman. But he of the bond woman was 
born after the flesh ; and he of the free woman by 
promise. Which things are an allegory ; for these 
are the two covenants ; the one [the law, or old cove- 
nant] is from Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bon- 
dage, which is Hagar ; for this Hagar is Mount 
Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that 
now is, and is in bondage with her children." The 
other [the gospel, or new covenant] is from Mount 
Zion, which gendereth to freedom, which is Sarah ; 
for Sarah answereth to '^ Jerusalem which is above, 
which is free, and which is the mother of us all," 
who believe.* In other words, Ishmael, although 
the son of Abraham, could not legally inherit his 
father's estate, because he was born of a slave, and 
was, therefore, himself a slave. So Israel after the 
flesh, were the children of Abraham, but were not 
on that account entitled to the gospel inheritance. 
" The children of the promise," not of the flesh, 
*' were counted for the seed." Under the law, the 
children of the flesh, were the sons of the covenant 
of Sinai, and remained in bondage. Therefore, 
when introducing the gospel, John the Baptist said 
to the Pharisees and Sadducees, " Bring forth fruits 
meet for repentance ; and think not to say within 
yourselves, we have Abraham to our father ; for I 
say unto you, that God is able of these stones, to 
raise up children unto Abraham."! Isaac was by 
promise. He was the son of a lawful wife, an- 
■ ♦ Gal. iv : 23-31. t Matt, iii : 8, 9. 



104 THE OLD COVENANT 

swering to the new covenant. He was free, and 
the legitimate heir of all. As he was, so are all 
true Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles — the 
children of promise. For with God their is no differ- 
ence ; ^^no respect of persons." They are free. They 
are the true " heirs of God, and joint heirs with our 
Lord Jesus Christ," of all that constitutes the king- 
dom of glory.^ Among the many that are found 
in the epistles, I will offer but one other apostolic 
exposition of the " two covenants," and which will 
also serve to show the abrogation of the law, and 
the independent, and effective character of the gos- 
pel : — " Christ hath obtained a more excellent min- 
istry [than that of Moses] by how much also, he is 
the Mediator of a better covenant [than that of the | 
law, andj which was established upon better pro- ^ 
mises. For if that first covenant had been fault* 
less> then should no place have been sought for the 
second. But finding fault with them, he saith. Be- 
hold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will 
make [bring into visible administration] a new 
covenant, with the [spiritual] house of Israel, and | 
the [spiritual] house of Judah ; not according to 
the covenant that I made with their fathers, [the 
old covenant] when I took them by the hand to 
lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they 
continued not in my covenant, [did not obey it] and 
I regarded them not [cast them off] saith the Lord. 
For this is the covenant [a gracious gospel cove- 
nant,] that I will make with the house of Israel af- 

* Rom. viii : 17. 



I 



I 



AND THE NEW COVENANT. 105 

ter those days, saith the Lord ; I will put my laws 
into their mind, and write them in their heart ; and 
I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a 
people ; and they shall not teach every man his 
neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know 
the Lord, for all shall know me, from the least to 
the greatest ; for I will be merciful to their unright- 
eousness, and their sins, and their iniquities, will I 
remember no more. In that he saith, A new cove- 
nant, he hath made the first old. Now that which 
decayeth, and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away."* 

Thus have we seen that the old covenant, or law, 
was fulfilled, and superseded by the new covenant, 
or gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Permit me in 
passing, briefly to observe, that there was also a 
preparation for the coming of Christ, necessary 
among the Gentile nations, as well as among the 
Hebrew people. This preparation was peculiar, 
and essential to the ends proposed by divine grace. 

The truths of the gospel, and especially those 
which teach that by the deeds of the law, whether 
of the original moral code, common to all the cove- 
nants, and which our first parents transgressed, or of 
the law of Moses, '' no flesh living can be justified ; 
that if man be saved at all, it must be by the inter- 
vention of another ; that all even the holiest of his 
acts, are sinful since they are defective, either in 
themselves, or in their motives ; and that even if it 
could be shown that any single acts are perfect, 
there are others that are sinful ; these are the last 

*Heb. viii: 7-13. 



106 THE OLD COVENANT 

truths that men are disposed to believe or admit. 
They needed to be proved by experiment. And 
their practical demonstration is found, in the historj^ 
of all nations, and ages. The world was not with- 
out some light from heaven ; but this light was dis- 
regarded. Four thousand years past, and who 
sought after God ? The Gentiles did not like to re- 
tain God in their knowledge ; and the Jews cor- 
rupted, and abused the revelation with which they 
w^ere entrusted. So far was man everywhere, from 
showing any tendency to 

Regain, self-raised, his native seat, 

that in all places his depravity became more and 
more intense, until at the time of the advent of Mes- 
siah, the world, and the civilized world especially, 
had reached an unsurpassed pre-eminence in wick- 
edness. '' Civil Government had no power to reclaim 
men from sin. The experiment had been tried un- 
der every form, and all were found alike incapable 
of raising him from his corruptions. Unless, there- 
fore, help could arise from some other source, it 
was evident that his condition was hopeless. Learn- 
ing was fully tested. From Pythagoras to Socrates, 
questions of physical, and moral truth, had been in- 
cessantly discussed. The wisdom of that age of 
the world reached its perfection, in the intellectual 
and moral reign of the Sophists. And what were 
the results ? The noblest of all their philosophers, 
who proved ' from the things that are made,' the 
existence and attributes of God ; and from his cha- 
racter, the relations he sustains to men, paid for his 



AND THE NEW COVENANT. 107 

fidelity to his principles, with the forfeiture of his 
life. His sentiments revived in the teachings of 
Plato, whose themes were indeed beautiful, but like 
the stars, they were too high above us to be of any 
real use. Aristotle too, with all his strength, and 
clearness of intellect, contributed nothing to prac- 
tical morals and religion ? What could philosophy 
do ? It could analyse with matchless skill, the pas- 
sions that sway the human heart, but it had no 
power to break the bondage of sin. And sculpture^ 
and poetry, and eloquence, had all framed their fault- 
less models, and had all ministered to vice. Taste 
presided in every department of life ; but it was 
taste revelling in licentiousness. Forms of govern- 
ment, learning, art, poetry, eloquence, taste, all had 
failed to win men from sin, and the proof was com- 
plete that ' the world by wisdom knew not,' and 
never could know God. 

Yet science, literature, cultivation, which thus in 
the providence of God had arisen, were, in another 
aspect, of unspeakable value. They were indis- 
pensible as a preparation of the Gentiles for Mes- 
siah's advent. The new covenant — the gospel — to 
be promulgated by ''God manifest in the flesh," 
embodies a system of spiritual truth, which without 
such training, the people could never have under- 
stood, nor appreciated. While, therefore, all these 
advantages clearly proved that something higher 
was needed, they placed men in an attitude to ex- 
amine, and intelligently to receive that exalted 
boon. The claims of the gospel must, for example, 
be tested by miracle. But the state of knowledge 



108 THE OLD COVENANT 



II 



in a barbarous age, would have rendered miracles — 
which in all cases, must suspend, or change, or re- 
verse the laws of nature — wholly useless, since 
unless these laws are to a certain extent known, }t 
cannot be determined when, in specified instances, 
any of these results actually occur. Therefore the 
people could not have known whether the wonders 
they saw, were really miracles, the proper results of 
certain natural laws, or mere delusions practiced 
upon their credulity. And so in regard to other 
forms of testimony, by which the gospel is sustained. 
An uncultivated community would have been in- 
competent judges ; and even had they been con- 
vinced themselves, their witness would have been 
met by others, with utter incredulity. The cultiva- 
tion of philosophy therefore, and the sciences gene- 
rally, prepared men to examine, approve, and em- 
brace the glorious Messiah. And a highly culti- 
vated literature was also equally demanded. The 
language of an ignorant people, would have been 
unequal to the task of embodying, and transmitting 
the sublime conceptions of Christianity. This could 
have been done only by a language which had 
reached the highest point of cultivation of which 
language is capable. The Greek was selected, as 
the medium of the New Testament, and in every 
excellence, never has it been surpassed. Indeed for 
strength, and flexibility, for the expression of logi- 
cal distinctions, and of the tenderest sentiment, for 
lyrical softness, the highest imagination and the 
full power of eloquence, it is inimitable. This lan- 
guage had immediately preceding Messiah's advent, 



AND THE NEW COVENANT. 109 

become the passion, and was the prevailing speech 
of the civilized, and especially of the learned w^orld. 
Whatever was written in Greek, was at once stu- 
NJied by all who were familiar with books. These 
successive advances necessarily tardy, in science, 
literature, and art, which had now reached their 
highest point of excellence, were thus rendered ef- 
fective preparations among the Gentiles, for his 
coming, whose claims were to be so tested as never 
afterwards to be called in question, and whose doc- 
trines are to be examined, and believed by the 
whole world. ^ 

We now for a moment, in conclusion, consider the 
exalted design, and nature of this new covenant — 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

These are presented in a single sentence, by the 
Saviour himself: — "God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believ- 
eth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life."t And Paul said to the Corinthians, " I declare 
unto you the gospel, which I preached unto you, 
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, 
by which also ye are saved ;" " how that Christ 
died for our sins, according to the scriptures ; and 
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third 
day, according to the scriptures."J To Timothy he 
said, '' this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all 
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world 
to save sinners'."!! " We preach," said he, in ano- 

*See Christ Our Life, by Angus, pp. 71-86, from which I have 
abridged the last two paragraphs. 

t John iii : 16. f 1 Cor. xv : 1-4. || 2 Tim. ii : 11. 



110 THE OLD COVENANT 

ther place, " Christ crucified ; to the Jews a stumb- 
ling block, and to the Greeks foolishness ; but to 
them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ 
the power of God, and the wisdom of God."^ But 
still more fully and explicitly ; — " The love of Christ 
constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one 
died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died 
for all, that they who live, should not, henceforth, 
live unto themselves, but unto him who died for 
them, and rose again." " Therefore, if any man be 
in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature. Old things 
have passed away ; behold all things have become 
new. And all things are of God, who hath recon- 
ciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ." '^ For God 
was in Christ, "reconciling the world unto himself, 
not imputing their trespasses unto them ;" and '^hath 
made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that 
we might be made the righteousness of God in 
him.f" In these, and like inspired expositions, we 
have a true representation of the gospel covenant. 
It teaches us that we are depraved, and sinful, and 
that while we remain in this condition, we must 
continue under the wrath of God, and thus wholly 
disqualified for happiness, and heaven ; it teaches 
us that the mercy of God, originating exclusively 
in himself, could reach the estate of guilty and lost 
men, only through the great sacrifice of his Son, 
our adorable Redeemer, who came into our world, 
fulfilled in our behalf all the claims of divine jus- 
tice, and through his own mediation offers us salva- 

* 1 Cor. i : 23, 24. f 2 Cor. v : 14-21. 



AXD THE NEW COVENANT. 1 1 1 

tion, and eternal life ; it teaches us that " with this 
sacrifice God is well pleased," and can through him, 
consistently pardon the sinner, and does pardon all, 
however guilty, who believe in his Son our Saviour ; 
and it teaches us that he sends into the heart of 
every true penitent, the Holy Spirit, by whose min- 
istry he is regenerated, sanctified, and prepared to 
be an eternal inhabitant of the kingdom of glory. 

Thus have we seen that the two classes of cove- 
nants, which have passed in review before us, are 
resolved in effect, into two covenants ; that they are 
so received, and expounded by Christ, and his apos- 
tles ; that the old covenant, or testament — the Mo- 
saic law — was in its nature, although glorious in 
itself, and in its purposes, necessarily temporary, and 
superseded by the gospel — the new covenant, or tes- 
tament ; that the Gentile, as well as the Jewish world, 
needed a preparation, and what that preparation 
was, for the coming of Messiah ; and the nature 
and excellence of that new covenant, which is '' the 
glorious gospel of the blessed God." Thanks to *' the 
Father of all our mercies," redemption is now no 
longer a matter of promise merely. It is a joyful 
reality. Christ Jesus, the 'Messiah, the Deliverer, 
has come, and accomplished his exalted mission. 
The work is done. It is our privilege, and honor, 
to live in the midst of the light and glory of the 
gospel. 



1 12 THE TEACHINGS 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE TEACHINGS OF THE COVENANTS. 

Messiahship of Jesus : form of the Cliristiaii Church ; purposes of 
God in relation to the Israelites : Church not visible until the 
coming of Christ : qualifications for membership : signs and seals 
of the covenants : consummation of the covenant in Christ's se- 
cond comine. 



«i 



All the covenants recorded in the word of God, 
having reference directly, and indirectly, to onr re- 
demption from sin, and salvation by Christ, are now i 
before you. It remains only that we consider briefly tI 
some few of their doctrinal, and practical teachings. 
I say some few, and briefly, because to refer to them 
all, and in detail, would require more time and 
space than can now be commanded, and 1 must com- 
press them into a single chapter. How vividly do 
these covenants illustrate the grace of God in your 
redemption ; the miserable condition of men in their 
fallen state ; the love, and goodness of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ ! How affecting the ap- 
peal which they make to your gratitude, and obedi- 
ence ! With a full soul, as you contemplate them, 
you exclaim with Paul ; '' O the depth of the riches, 
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How 
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past 



OF THE COVENANTS. 113 

finding out !"* But all these, and many other like 
considerations, we must pass over in silence. 

1. One among the most impressive lessons taught 
us by the covenants is, I remark, in the first place, 
the demonstration they give of the Messiahship of 
Jesus of Nazareth. 

Of all the covenants of the law especially, this 
was the primary purpose. These, as we have seen, 
provided, to a great extent, the testimony required, 
to place the faith of both Jews and Gentiles upon 
an immovable foundation. Is not the proof of his 
Messiahship given b^- them, and their auxiliaries, 
perfectly conclusive? Was not Jesus the Christ ? 
Is the promised Deliverer yet to come ? Then all is 
lost irrecoverably. ^Come when he will, it never can 
be certainly known that he is the promised Mes- 
siah. No means exist — no means ever can exist — 
by which his claims may be satisfactorily estab- 
lished. The Jews fromfwhom he was to spring are 
no longer a nation, but driven centuries since, from 
their country, are in hopeless exile. Their laws 
w^hich God pledged himself to maintain until his 
advent, ceased to be administered eighteen hundred 
years since. Long ago has past the prophetic pe- 
riod for his appearing. The genealogies of the 
tribes are all wholly lost. Not a Jew can be found 
on earth, who, as they themselves confess, knows, 
or ever can know, whether he is a descendant of 
David, or of some other Hebrew family. Messiah 
not yet come ! Then all prophecy, and all history 

* Rom. xi : 33. 



114 THE TEACHINGS 

must be discredited. The Bible itself is a fable, 
and no confidence can be placed in its revelations. 
Religion, in all its forms, is only a delicious dream ! 
But, happily, we labor under no such uncertainties. 
God himself has provided, in these covenants, and 
their auxiliaries, against all indefiniteness. The 
proof that Jesus is the Christ, is fall and " infalli- 
ble." He came at the precise time, and in the very 
place, fixed by prophecy, for the coming of Mes- 
siah ; all the collateral events occurred which were 
predicted to transpire at his appearing ; the family 
from which he sprung ; the place of his birth, and of 
his teaching ; the works which he did ; the events 
previously predicted, of his life, betrayal, sufferings, 
death, resurrection, and ascension ; all these leave 
upon the intelligent, and unprejudiced mind, no 
doubts. It is absolutely certain that Jesus is the 
Christ, the Saviour of men. 

2. The teachings of the covenants, truly inter- 
preted, give us, secondly, important aid in deter- 
mining the character, and form of the visible Chris- 
tian church. 

They concur with the New Testament, in estab- 
lishing the fact, that it is "A congregation of 
faithful men, in which the true word of God is 
preached, and the sacraments duly administered, 
according to Christ's ordinances, in all those things 
that of necessity are requisite to the same."* It 
is therefore, a purely spiritual body, called out of 
the world, by the gospel;\ and formally organized 

* XXXIX Articles, Art. IX. f E/c/foAew, $KK\D<na, 



OF THE COVENANTS. 115 

for the service of Christ, according to his own laws. 
In professed agreement with these doctrines, but 
practically, in direct opposition to them, it has been 
very generally assumed, that *' The Jewish society 
before Christ, and the Christian society after Christ, 
are one, and the same church, under different dis- 
pensations." This proposition, you must, from the 
exammation through which we have passed, be 
convinced cannot be sustained. The covenants 
themselves, plainly show that the Jewish church, 
and the Christian church, are organized upon dif- 
ferent, and dissimilar covenants ; that they are com- 
posed of wholly unlike materials — the one of the 
entire Hebrew nation, the other of " faithful men," 
believers only ; that one was a figure of the other ; 
and that when the gospel church, the reality, was 
visibly organized, the Jewish church, the figure, 
ceased to exist. The covenants of the law, were 
the charter of the Jewish church. They were de- 
signed, as we have seen, to bear witness to Christ. 
When he came, and was acknowledged, their pur- 
pose being accomplished, they were superseded, 
since when the charter expired, then of course, ex- 
pired with it, all the peculiar privileges it conferred. 
The Jewish church, therefore, was not continued in 
any form. The new covenant was now introduced 
into visible administration. This is the charter of 
the Christian church. If the apostles teach us truly, 
these churches were so unlike, that the removal of 
the Jewish was necessary to the introduction of 
the Christian : — " He taketh away the first [cove- 
nant says Paul,] that he may establish the se- 



116 THE TEACHINGS 

cond."* And David speaking prophetically of Mes- 
siah, says: — ''The Lord hath sworn, and will not 
repent ; Thou art a priest forever, after the order of 
Melchizedeck."t In exposition of this passage, Paul 
remarks : — '' If perfection were by the Levitical 
priesthood, (for under it the people received the 
law,) what further need was there that another 
priest should arise, after the order of Melchizedeck, 
and not be called after the order of Aaron ? For 
the priesthood being changed, there is made of ne- 
cessit}^, a change also of the law. For he of whom 
these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, 
of whom no man gave attendance at the altar. 
Fpr it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Ju- 
dah, [such is the stipulation of the covenant] of 
which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priest- 
hood. And it is far more evident," that " there is 
a disannulling of the commandment going before 
[the old covenant] for the weakness and unprofita- 
bleness thereof. For the law [the Jewish covenant] 
made nothing perfect ; [being figurative merely] but 
the bringing in of a better hope [the gospel cove- 
nant] did ; by the which hope we draw nigh unto 
God."J Can that which is removed, and that which 
is placed in its stead, be after all, substantially the 
same thing ? Can the law be changed, and still 
continue to be the same law ? If not, then the co- 
venant of the Christian church, is another covenant 
than that of the Jewish church ; having a new Me- 
diator, a new order of priests, new sacrifices, and a 

* Heb. X : 9. f Ps. ex : 4. t Heb. vii : 11-19. 



OF THE COVENANTS. 1 17 

new service. It follows, therefore, that ** The Jew- 
ish society before Christ, and the Christian society 
after Christ, are not one and the same church under 
different dispensations." Consequently all the de- 
ductions from this source to which men are wont 
to resort, in reference to the nature, form, and ordi- 
nances of the Christian church, are baseless, and 
necessarily fall to the ground. 

These conclusions, so obviously scriptural, and 
true, are, I am glad to find, beginning to be ac- 
knowledged by the learned, and candid, even in the 
ranks of our Pedobaptist brethren. 1 might intro- 
duce several authorities, but will satisfy myself with 
one only. Dr. Hodge, one of the Professors in the 
Princeton Theological Seminary says : — " It is to 
be remembered that there were two covenants made 
with Abraham. By the one his natural descendants 
through Isaac, were constituted a commonwealth— 
an external community ; by the other his spiritual 
descendants were constituted into a church, [invisi- 
ble of course, since, at that time, the only formal 
organization was that of the law.] The parties to 
the former covenant, were God, and the nation ; to 
the other, God, and his true people. The promises 
of the national covenant, were national blessings ; 
the promises of the spiritual covenant (i. e. the cove- 
nant of grace) were spiritual blessings, as recon- 
ciliation, holiness, and eternal life. The conditions 
I of the one covenant [the old] were circumcision, 
and obedience to the law ; the conditions of the 
j other were, and ever have been, faith in the Mes- 
j siah, as * the seed of the woman,' the Son of God, 



118 THE TEACHINGS 

the Saviour of the world. There cannot be a grea- 
ter mistake than to confound the national covenant 
with the covenant of grace, [that is, the old cove' 
nant with the new] and the commonwealth founded 
on the one, with the church* founded on the other. 
When Christ came, the commonwealth was abol- 
ished, and there was nothing put in its place. The 
church [now made visible] remained. There was 
no external covenant, nor promise of external bles- 
sings, on condition of external rites, and subjection. 
There was a spiritual society, with spiritual pro- 
mises, on condition of faith in Christ." '' The church 
is, therefore, in its essential nature, a company of 
believers, and not an external society, requiring 
merely external profession as the condition of mem- 
bership.*" This is the true testimony. It must be 
so. It cannot be otherwise. The Jewish church 
which rejected, and cast out the Christian church, 
could not be substantially that very Christian church 
which it cast out, and rejected. The Jewish church 
into which its members were born by natural birth, 
could not be the same church with the Christian, 
into which none can lawfully enter but such as are 
*' born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor 
of the will of man, but of God."t Was the church 
which contained the Scribes, and Pharisees, and 
Sadducees, the most open, determined, and malig- 
nant enemies of Christ, the same church with that 
into which none can enter, but those who love 
Christ with all their soul, and mind and strength ? 

♦Princeton Review, October, 1853. f Jolin i : 13. 



or THE COVENANTS. 1 19 

The church of Israel, was the nation of Israel, and, 
as a whole, could no more be the church of Christ, 
in the New Testament sense of that phrase, than 
the American nation, can be called the church of 
Xhrist. 

3. The covenants, thirdly, clearly teach us that 
all the peculiar purposes of God in relation to the 
Jewish nation, are now fully accomplished. 

Their separate nationality was, as we have seen, 
secured, and perpetuated, as an essential part of 
those means by which the fulfilment was certified, 
of the '' promise of God in Christ to Abraham." 
When Christ came, and the proof of his Messiah- 
ship was established, that end was gained per- 
fectly. They, in the providence of God, were soon 
afterwards dispersed, and have never since enjoyed 
a national being. And why should they ? What 
is to be gained by it? Yet it is believed by them, 
and the opinion prevails very generally among 
Christians, that they will at some future day, be re- 
stored to Canaan, and there yet become a great 
nation. Are the Jews really to be restored as a na- 
tion, to Canaan ? If they are restored, by what 
laws will they there be governed ? By those of the 
old covenant ? They are all fulfilled, and super- 
seded. As the laws of God, they no longer exist. 
Sacrifices, oblations, priesthood, circumcision, are 
not now even when practised by Jews, obedience 
to God. Will they be governed by the new co- 
venant. Then they will be Christians, and why 
should they be separated from other Christians 
of different races ? But do not the prophecies 



120 THE TEACHINGS 

declare that they will be restored ? Let us exam- 
ine them. Among the passages which are consid- 
ered most conclusive on this subject, are such as 
these : — " Behold, I will take the children of Israel 
from among the heathen whither they have gone, 
and gather them cm every side, and bring them into 
their own land. And I will make them one nation 
in the land, upon the mountains of Israel ; and one 
king shall reign over them all ; and they shall no 
more be two nations, neither shall they be divided 
into two kingdoms any more at all ; neither shall 
they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor 
with their detestable things, nor with any of their 
transgressions. But I will save them out of all their 
dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will 
cleanse them. So shall they be my people ; and I 
will be their God ; and David my servant, shall be 
king over them ; and they shall all have one Shep- 
herd ; and they shall walk in my judgments, and 
obey my statues, and do them. And they shall 
dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my 
servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt ; and they 
shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, 
and their children's children forever; and my ser- 
vant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover 
I will make a covenant of peace with them ; and I 
will place them, and multiply them ; and will set 
my sanctuary in the midst of them forever more."* 
<' The nation, and kingdom, that will not serve thee, 
shall perish ; yea, they shall be utterly wasted." 
" Thy people shall be all righteous ; they shall in- 
* Ezek. xxxvii : 21-26. 



OF THE COVENANTS. . 121 

herit the laud forever.""^ If these, and similar pas- 
sages, guaranty the restoration of Judah and Israel 
to the land of Canaan, literally as a nation, they 
must of course be interpreted literally. But is such 
an interpretation reasonable ? Will legitimate Bib- 
lical criticism tolerate it ? Where are the ten tribes 
of Israel 1 They do not exist upon the earth. How- 
then can they return literally ? Will the restored 
twelve tribes in their land, where they are to in- 
crease, and multiply, be all righteous ? If so, they 
will be what no nation ever has been. Will all 
other nations be either tributary to them, or refusing 
such subjection, be utterly destroyed? Is David to rise 
from the dead, and to reign over united Judah, and Is- 
rael, forever ? Is this earthly state to continue with- 
out end ? And that covenant of peace, and that 
sanctuary, or temple, which they are to enjoy for- 
ever, what are they ? Something different from the 
gospel, and its blessings? Will all this occur lite- 
rally ? To believe it is wholly out of the question, 
not only because it is unreasonable, but also be- 
cause it directly contradicts many of the most im- 
portant teachings of the New Testament. How then 
is it to be interpreted ? Plainly, like all other simi- 
lar portions of the old testament, according to its 
figurative sense. Having seen thus much, the mean- 
ing is at once obvious. All these texts, under the 
gorgeous figures which enshroud them, of the return 
to Canaan of all Israel, their prosperity, and their 
triumphs, predict simply, their ultimate conversion to 

'fisa. Ix : X2-21. 



122 * THE TEACHINGS 

Christianity^ their union with the people of God, 
that Messiah, (the spiritual David, unto whom all 
nations shall be subdued,) shall reign over them, and 
that purged from their sins by his blood, they shall 
rejoice in the covenant of peace, (the gospel of 
Christ,) and in their king Messiah, and in their glori- 
ous sanctuary, (the church of the Redeemer,) forever 
more. 

Thus have we seen that there is no reason for 
the further separate nationality of the Jew^s, and 
no scripture in support of the opinion that they will 
ever be restored literally to Canaan. And, besides, 
the gospel has long ago, ^* broken dow^n the middle 
wall of partition" between the Jews, and the Gen- 
tiles. Henceforth "they are one fold," and have 
but "one Shepherd." "God is no respecter of 
persons." In his sight there are no distinctions 
among men ; " neither Greek nor Jew, circum- 
cision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, 
bond, nor free.""^ The rejection of Christ's doc- 
trine by the Jews, led to the persecution, and 
dispersion of the disciples, and thus became "the 
riches of the world." What now shall be their con- 
version, " but life from the dead ?"t When " the 
fullness of the Gentiles shall have come in ;" that is, 
when Christians of all nations, shall become Chris 
tians indeed ; shall act towards Israelites as they 
do towards other men ; their prejudices will cease, 
they too will be converted, and make up their part 
of the fullness of the riches of Christ. The Jews 

*Col.iii: 11. tRom.xi: 11-15. 



OF THE COVRNANTS. IS8 

were the *' true olive tree," of which Christ is the 
root and fatness. When they rejected him, they 
as branches, were broken off, and the Gentiles, 
branches of the wild olive, were grafted in ; or took 
their place in relation to Christ. But when their 
unbelief shall cease, they shall be restored to the 
favor of God, as humble followers of him " who 
died for all, that those who live, should not hence- 
forth live unto themselves, but unto him who died 
for them, and rose again." 

4. From these covenants, together with the his- 
tory of Israel, and instructions of the prophets, you 
learn, fourthly, that the gospel church was not visi- 
ble until the coming of Christ. 

Men eminently pious ; deeply imbued with the 
spirit of true religion, existed in every age ; not 
among the Jews only, but also among the Gentiles. 
They were all believers in the Messiah promised as 
yet to come. But they were not visibly organized 
as the kingdom, or church of the Redeemer. The 
gospel covenant, which was their guide, and sup- 
port, has existed, as we have seen, from '• before the 
founda^n of the world." It is, therefore, really the 
oldest of all the covenants. It is consequently, called 
the new covenant, not in respect of the date of its 
origin, but of the period of its visible administra- 
tion, which did not commence until after the old 
covenant had served its purposes, was fulfilled, and 
had passed away. For all that concerned holiness, 
and salvation, it was, nevertheless, fully as effective 
immediately after the fall, as it is at this hour. 
Christ Jesus was *' A Lamb slain from the founda- 



124 THE TEACHINGS 

tion of the world."^ All who in any age have been 
saved, have obtained their deliverance through faith 
in him. Up, however, to the tinie of his personal 
appearing upon earth, there was no formal outward 
organization. The only external administration 
was legal, and typical. To any one who will ma- 
turely examine the subject, these facts must be ap- 
parent. Readily may you trace the approach of 
the church to the period of its visibility. Previous 
to the advent, the covenant, and kingdom of Christ, 
are ever spoken of, as being in the future. By Eze- 
kiel Jehovah said, "I will establish unto you an 
everlasting covenant."! And, in another place, " I 
will bring you into the bonds of the covenant."J 
By ^Daniel he said, '* In the days of these kings [the 
Roman Emperors] will the God of heaven set up a 
kingdom, which shall never be destroyed ; and the 
kingdom shall not be left to other people ; but it 
shall break in pieces, and consume all these king- 
doms ; and it shall stand forever."|| Thus did all 
the prophets speak of the church, up to that moment 
when the Old Testament dispensation was closed. 
The kingdom was not yet formally inaugurated. 
You open the new Testament, and what do you 
there find ? John the Baptist comes, "preaching in 
the wilderness of Judea, and saying. Repent ye, for 
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.^^^ " Messiah 
the prince" appears. He is recognized in his bap- 
tism, as the " Son of God."^ Having entered upon 

* Rev. xiii : 8. f Ezek. xvi : 60. J lb. xx : 37. 

II Dan. ii : 44. § Matt, iii : 1. H Matt, iii : 16, 17. 



OF THE COVENANT?. 125 

his ministry, he proclaims of the kingdom, "It is 
nigh thee, even at the doors ;" at this moment, '' the 
kingdom of God is within you."^ To which an 
apostle adds, " Now is come the kingdom of our 
God."t 

It may be instructive to mark the precise point of 
time at which the church of Christ became a visible 
organization. To do this we must ascertain w^hat it is 
exactly, which places the church in this visible state. 
It is as you will at once see, upon reflection, not spiri- 
tualit}^, nor orthodoxy, nor both these together, but 
external form. Without spirituality, and orthodoxy, 
there can certainly be no true church. They are 
essential to its very existence. Yet these alone, do 
not constitute its visibility, since in that case it 
would have been visible long before the days of 
Abraham. And there are many men eminently 
pious, in the present day, who whatever may be their 
devotion to God, are not literally connected with the 
visible church ; which could not be the case if spi- 
ritual qualities only, were necessary to that union. 
What more is required then, to make these good 
men members of the church ? They must, I an- 
swer, be baptised, and receive the Lord^s supper. 
These ordinances, therefore, mark the line of sepa- 
ration between the church and the world. In the 
truth of this statement, we have, happilj?-, the con- 
currence of every denomination of Christians. They 
all teach that those who are baptised, and received 
at the Lord's table, are thus united with the church, 

* Luke xvii : 21, t Rev. xii : 10. 



126 THE TEACFTJNGS 

4 
and that those who are not so baptised, and received, 
whatever may be their piety, or excfellence in other 
respects, are out of the visible church. These 
ordinances, doubtless, do not draw the line af dis- 
tinction between the church and the world, exactly 
where God will place it at the last day, because 
they are administered by fallible men, who are lia- 
ble to mistake the claims of those who receive them. 
Many, we have reason to fear, are in the visible 
church, who will not, at the last daj% be found on the 
right hand of the Judge ; and many are probably, 
not in the visible church, who will have a place then 
in the church triumphant. It is, nevertheless, true, 
that the ordinances, usually called sacraments, 
mark the established boundaries between the world 
and the visible church. 

These principles are settled. Let them now be 
applied. John the Baptist began to draw the line 
of separation, by the administration of baptism to 
the repenting Israelites, thus making " ready a peo- 
ple prepared for the Lord." The disciples by their 
baptisms, made it still more distinct. Now the visi- 
bility began dimly to appear, as in the distant 
horizon, the faint outline of a towering mountain. 
Christ himself finished it when in an upper room, 
the same night in which he was betrayed, he insti- 
tuted, and administered the sacred supper. At that 
hour the separation was complete, the kingdom set 
up, and the church arose, visible and bright, like 
the morning sun, shining without a cloud. The 
next day he died for his people, upon the cross; he 
was buried ; he rose again ; he " ascended up on 



OF THE COVENANTS. 127 

high, leading captivity captive, that he might give 
gifts unto men." Thenceforward when disciples 
were united with his followers, it is said of them, 
" The Lord added to the church daily, the saved."* 
The exact point of time, therefore, at which the 
church of Christ became visible, was on the night of 
his betrayal, and at this moment of the conclusion 
of the sacred supper. From that moment it was the 
visible church of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

5. From the covenants now before you, is derived, 
fifthly, rich information regarding the scriptural 
qualifications for membership in the visible church 
of the Redeemer. 

Dr. Hodge, in the article already noticed,! justly 
says, that " In no part of the New Testament is any 
condition of membership prescribed, other than that 
contained in the answer of Philip to the Eunuch 
who desired baptism, ' If thou believest w^ith all 
thy heart, thou mayest.' Nor in the Old Testament 
is there any other condition prescribed." Only be- 
lievers in Jesus Christ are entitled to the distinc- 
tion. Unhappily, however, this fact does not com- 
mand universal concurrence, and these covenants 
are appealed to, as proof that infants, as well as be- 
lievers, are to be baptised, and received into the 
church ! And do they really furnish the authority 
claimed ? It is assumed that " the covenant of 
promise to Abraham, of God in Christ," for him, 
and his seed, is equally, and in all ages, literally a 

* Acts ii ; 47—' <5e KvpLos Trpoaeridei rovg (TO)^o[icvovs Kad^ fjixepav rJJ 

€KK\riaca, f Pdaceton Review, ut supra. 



128 THE TEACHINGS 

covenant with every other believer, for him, and his 
seed ! But can this proposition be true ? If God 
fulfils the covenant with Abraham, and his seed, to 
every other believer, and his seed, he does so, of 
course, in accordance with the terms of the cove- 
nant. Now turn back to that covenant, if you 
please, and examine it closely, that you may see 
what its promises are, and ascertain how, in the 
first place, they are to be fulfilled to every other be- 
liever, as well as to Abraham. These promises 
were, that God would make of Abraham a great 
nation ; that kings should descend from him ; that 
he, and his posterity, should possess the whole land 
of Ganaan ; that he would bless him, and make 
him a blessing ; and that he should be the father of 
Messiah. These are its promises. And you are 
told by grave and learned men, that these are equally 
promises to every other believer ! And are you ex- 
pected to believe a proposition so preposterous ? 
That there are multitudes who do credit it, is to me 
wholly unaccountable, except upon the supposition 
that they have never examined the subject. 

And now, in the second place, determine if you 
can, how these promises apply to the literal seed of 
believers. The connection with this covenant, claimed 
for them, on the ground that they are the children of 
believers, is not less preposterous than that advo- 
cated for their parents. It assumes that the cove- 
nant established a spiritual relation between Abra- 
ham, and his infant offspring ; and that it establishes 
now, the same relation between every believer and 
his infant offspring ! Need I say that this whole 



OF THE COVENANT^'t 129 

category is a mistake, from beginning to end ? It is 
certain that no spiritual relation not before existing, 
was established by this covenant, between Abraham 
and his infant seed. He was made the father, not 
of all the redeemed, as some have imagined, but *' of 
all them that believe,'^^ of whatever nation. Infants 
are redeemed ; but infants do not believe. To his 
own descendants he was ''the father of circum- 
cision." He was the spiritual father, so far as we 
know, of no one, assuredly not of his own infant 
seed, unless the absurdity can be admitted that 
spiritual qualities (that is, that religion) may be 
propagated by natural generation. The covenant 
therefore established no new spiritual relations be- 
tween even Abraham and his infant seed. Much 
less does it establish now, any such relations be- 
tween believers and their infant seed. " The blessing 
of Abraham has indeed, come upon the Gentiles," 
but in no such acceptations as these. That blessing 
consists not in creating any spiritual relations be- 
tween believers and their infant offspring, but for 
themselves^ in having their faith counted to them for 
righteousness, as Abraham's faith was counted to 
him for righteousness. As to their children, if they 
die in infancy, they are, and ever have been, and 
ever will be saved, by the merits and righteousness 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, independently of parentage, 
or ordinances, of any character whatever. If they 
grow up to maturity, they are blessed in being taught 
by Christian parents the way of life and salvation 
through .Jesus Christ. The covenant with Abraham, 
for him, and his seed, is not therefore, equally a cove- 



130 THE TEACHINGS 

nant with every other believer, for him, and his seed. 
To presume consequently, that the infant seed of be- 
lievers, because they are such, are entitled without 
repentance, and faith, to the ordinances of the gospel, 
and to membership in the visible church, is a deroga- 
tion of the covenants, a violation of the analogy of the 
Old and New Testaments, in opposition to the word 
of God, and destructive to all the best interests of 
religion. 

What then, is the true teaching of the covenants 
on this subject ? It is most plain and obvious. In 
the Jewish, or typical chuch, all was external, and 
earthly. The church itself was national and con- 
fined in its membership to the Hebrews. Literal 
descent from Abraham, with circumcision, conferred 
a full right to all its privileges. Its services were 
symbols. Nor did its worship necessarily demand 
any spiritual qualifications. The Christian Church, 
the reality, is internal and spiritual. It is not na- 
tional, but individual, and extends its blessings to 
all men, irrespective of races. The spiritual seed 
of Abraham (believers) who have the spiritual cir- 
cumcision (the regeneration of the soul) are alone en- 
titled to its privileges. Its worship demands the 
homage of the heart ; for " God is a Spirit, and they 
that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in 
truth."* This is the true and only scriptural 
analogy between the Jewish Church and the Chris- 
tian Church. The covenants therefore, prove con- 
clusively, that repentance towards God, and faith in 

* John iv : 24. 



OF THE COVENANTS. 131 

our Lord Jesus Christ, are essential qualifications 
for membership in the Church of the Redeemer. 

6. These covenants teach you, sixthly, that the 
entire series of " signs and seals of grace," which 
our brethren have engrafted upon them, is not only 
wholly imaginary, but also highly pernicious. 

And what are these '* signs and seals," which you 
have been so often told, are invariable appen- 
dages of the covenants ? Dr. Dick says : " A seal 
has been defined to be the visible sign of an invisible 
grace ; and may be more generally described as an 
institution of which it is the design to signify the 
blessings promised in the covenant, and to give an 
assurance of them to those by whom its terms are 
fulfilled."* Our brethren proceed accordingly, to find 
seals of some sort, for all the covenants, which they 
do not fail to account as so many " signs of invisible 
grace !" Of the law, or '' covenant of works," under 
w^hich man was originally created, they affirm that 
" The tree of life" was the seal. But in this conclu- 
sion all are not agreed, some insisting that "The 
tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was the 
seal ; others that it was " Paradise ;" and still others 
that it was "the Sabbath day."f The learned Witsius 
however, takes bold ground, and assumes that all 
these four things were legitimatel}^ so many seals of 
the covenant. J For the sign and seal of the covenant 
with Noah, they point you to the rainbow ; and for 

* Theol. Vol. 1. p. 474. Is it not a little surprising that a Cal- 
vinist, as was Dr. Dick, should teach that doctrine ? 

t Dick's Theol. Vol. 2, p. 356. X Dr. Oe^on. Fed. Lib. 1 cap. 6. 



132 THE TEACHINGS 



1 



the sign and seal of " the covenant confirmed of God 
in Christ," to Abraham, they refer you to circum- 
cision* Under the New Testament, baptism and 
the Lord's supper, they teach you are the seals 
which signify, and the signs of the blessings, prom- 
ised in the gospel covenant ! 

It must, I think, be plain to you, that no such 
'* institution'''' as this appears in the word of God. 
What ! A mere ordinance, administered by men, 
and having the effect '' to give assurance to those 
who receive it," that they shall be recipients of all 
the blessings promised in the gospel covenant ! 
Can this be reconciled with the teachings of 
evang;elical religion? Never. It attributes to baptism 
and to the Lord's supper, vastly more of efficacy 
than ever was assigned them by the great author 
of our salvation. But as to the alleged " institution" 
itself; where were ^' the signs and seals" of the 
covenant of Eden, in w^hich we have the original 
announcement of a Deliverer from sin ? There were 
none. Where were the ''signs and seals" of "the 
covenant confirmed of God in Christ" to Abraham, 
and which has been called '^ the covenant of grace?" 
There Vv'^ere none. To find them our brethren are 
obliged to resort to quite another covenant — the 
covenant of circumcision — a license not allowable 
in Biblical interpretation. Where were '' the signs 
and seals" of the covenant which gave to Abraham 
the land of Canaan, and made him a separate na- 
tion ? Where the " signs and seals" of the covenant 
of Sinai? No such *' institutions," appear. The rain- 
bow^ was no sealj or " visible sign of an invisible 



OF THE COVENANTS. 133 

grace," to Noah, or to any one else. It was simply 
" a token" pledging God, according to his promise, 
not again to destroy the world by a flood of waters.' 
Nor was circumcision itself, of which our brethren 
have made so much, either a sign, or a seal, in the 
popular theological sense, of any thing, to any one, 
beyond Abraham himself. " He received the sign 
ofcircumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the 
faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that 
he might be the 'father of all them that believe, 
though they be not circumcised."* This is Paul's' 
exposition of the subject. If he is right, then circum- 
cision was to Abraham himself, a seal of the right- 
eousness of the faith which he had before \is 
circumcision. But it was no seal, or " visible sign 
of invisible grace," to any one else, even among the 
Hebrews, either in his day, or afterwards. Thus 
baseless, not to say mischievous, is this whole doc- 
trine of " signs and seals of the covenants," in its 
application even to circumcision. How much more 
baseless is it, and mischievous, when it is made to 
refer to baptism and the Lord's supper ! These or- 
dinances are to their recipients, signs and seals of 
nothing whatever. They bear glorious testimony 
that "Christ died for our sins" according to the 
scriptures ; and that he was buried ; and that he 
rose again from the dead, the third day, according, 
to the scriptures."! But they are no " institution of 
which it is the design to signify the blessings 

* Rom. iv : 10-71. t 1 Cor. xv : 3, 4. 



J 34 THE TEACHINGS 

promised in the Lgospel] covenant, and to give an 
assurance of them, to those by whom its terms are 
fulfilled."* The whole doctrine " of signs and seals 
is utterly destitute of authority ; and all its teach- 
ings manifestly in conflict with evangelical Christi- 
anity; since they attribute to these ordinances, results 
which belong exclusively to the work of the Holy 

Spirit. . , 

7 All these covenants, both those which promised 
♦ the'coming of Messiah, and those which so carefully 
directed the circumstances in relation to his advent 
point, in the last place, for their complete and final 
consummation, to the second coming of our Lord 

Jesus Christ. .<.<•. 

" As it is appointed unto men once to die, but alter 
this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to 
bear the sins of many ; and unto them that look 
for him. shall he appear the second time, without 
sin unto salvation."! The mediatorial work, to 
which he was assigned, by the covenant of redemp- 
tion will one day be finished. He will at last have 
"made up his jewels." Then will he " deliver up 
the kingdom to God, even the Father," having ' put 
down all rule, and all authority, and power; for he 
must reign till he hath put all enemies under his 
feet "t He himself said :— Hereafter shall ye ' see 
the "son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with 
power and great glory."§ His apostles take up this 
declaration, and repeat it ; assuring us that at his 

* Dick ui supra. t Heb. ix : 27, 28. 

. tl Cor. xt: 24,25. • § Matt.xxxiy : 30, 31. 



OF THE COVENANTS. I35 

.second coming, " he shall descend from heaven with 
a shout, w,th the voice of the archangel, and w h 

meet the Lord m the air; and so shall we be eier 
wath the Lord.- How great is that grace which by 
his first coming, you have already received ! And 
how unspeakable will be " the glory which will be 
revealed m you," when he shall come again > Char- 
actenstic of the one*advent it is said :-"The grace 
of Go which bringeth salvation, hath appeared 
unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness 
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, rig\teou:iy 
and godly, m this present world." By the other, we 
are authorised to look "for that blessed hope, and 
the glorious appearing of the great God, and our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ,"t " M'ho shall change our vi^e 
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his gloriou! 
body according to the working whereby he is able 
even to subdue all things unto himself"! To what 
amazing events then, are we destined. Thev shall 
not however occur until the gospel has achieved all 

musTfi ^ '"r^'" " ^'^ ^^^"^^«-^ °^ '^^^ world 
must first "become the kingdoms of our Lord and 

of his Christ." "Then cometh the end." Time 

ceases. Christ, and his people, are glorified together 

Heaven is filled with everlasting rejoicing. 

MThess.iv: 16,17. f Tit. ii : II-13. tPM,.iii:2i. 



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